In 1883 Major Thomas H. Hays purchased the land to build a school for his daughters to attend. Located on Pages Lane, Major Hays built a one room school house and hired a woman named Lizzie Lee Harris as the lone teacher. Miss Harris loved the hill that the school had nestled upon plus had a fondness of Scott Waverly Novels, so she had decided to name the house “Waverly School”. Major Hays liked the peaceful sound of this name so the property became known as “Waverly Hill”. Once the Board of Tuberculosis Hospital bought the land they also kept the name and opened the Sanatorium on July 26, 1910.

The Hospital was built to accommodate 40-50 patients suffering from Tuberculosis, which at the time was a very serious disease known as the “white plague”. People suffering from this disease had to be kept separate from the general public for it was highly contagious. Therefore the Sanatorium was built on high hills surrounded by a lush forest to create a calm, peaceful setting to help the patients recover while also receiving plenty of fresh air.

With cases of Tuberculosis rapidly rising, the original hospital built to hold 40-50 was now seeing the clinic filled with over 140 patients. So in 1926 the Sanatorium (as seen today) was constructed to maintain an accommodation of 400 patients. At the time this massive gothic like building was considered to be one of the most modern facilities to maintain the TB epidemic.

It is estimated that during the height of the “white plague” within four decades of operation, thousands of patients died within the walls of the Waverly, some estimates reach as high as 8,300. Most were caused by the disease itself but some were due to the barbaric new experiments that were being conducted without knowledge or successful practice. Patients were known to have their lungs exposed to ultraviolet light to stop the spread of bacteria (a procedure known as Heliotherapy). This was done in the “sun rooms” where these procedures were conducted using artificial light in place of sunlight, but in some cases patients had to withstand weather conditions on the roof or open porches under direct sunlight even in the middle of winter. Some patients have been reported with balloons surgically implanted within the lungs (a procedure known as Pneumothorax) to physically expand them. Some were reported as having ribs and muscles removed to allow more oxygen intake (a procedure known as Thoracoplasty). Few patients survived these experiments.

During this time an immense amount of deaths occurred daily, so an exit procedure was needed to keep the remaining patients calm and distracted from witnessing the movement of dead bodies. The construction of the “Body Chute” or “Death Tunnel” was completed. A secret enclosed 500 ft tunnel was built to transport the dead bodies from the hospital to the railroad tracks located at the bottom of the hill. A hearse awaited these bodies being transferred by gurneys. The tunnel is split into two sections; one side descends with concrete steps while the other side was used as a cable system with a motorized rail. Oddly enough this tunnel was constructed to keep the remaining patients with high spirits and positive morale, while dead bodies secretly left the building.

Until 1961 the Waverly functioned strictly as a Tuberculosis hospital until antibiotics were invented. So within this year the Sanatorium was closed to be quarantined and renovated and eventually reopened in 1962 as the Woodhaven Medical Services. This facility remained opened as a geriatrics center until 1980, when due to horrible conditions and patient mistreatments such as Electroshock Therapy, caused the state to finally close the doors to the old age home for good.

The land to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium was then auctioned off and had changed owners many times until the year 2001.

This once glorious castle like structure now sits as a dilapidated building that has seen its fair share of vandalism, teen ghost enthusiasm and possible satanic rituals. This eerie visual connected with the history of death and surgical torture gives the Waverly Hills Sanatorium the title of one of America’s most haunted locations. Here are a few examples of possible activity you may encounter if you ever visit this historical site:

Ghost History

Main Entrance
Sometimes running out the front door, an old woman in bloody wrist and ankle shackles has been witnessed crying out for help before vanishing into thin air.

Roof
Children are said to sing songs and run around in a playful manner on the roof. These children were subject to the treatment of Tuberculosis by the rays of natural sunlight.

Third Floor
The ghost of a young girl named “Mary” is said to haunt this level. “Mary” is said to have very creepy features with no eyes and is said to play with a small ball. It is also said that a small boy may actually be the one playing with the ball and not “Mary”. The sounds of a ball bouncing on the floor are heard occasionally, and in some cases the apparitions of children are seen staring out the windows.

Fourth Floor
This level is believed to be one of the most active locations within the building. Shadows have been seen wandering throughout the halls, plus doors have been known to slam shut on their own.

Fifth Floor
This floor is said to house the mentally insane Tuberculosis patients of the hospital. Activity is frequent within the halls of the Fifth Floor. The notorious and most popular legend about Waverly Hills, Room 502, is located on this level.

Room 502
The myth behind Room 502 is about a nurse in 1928 that apparently picked up Tuberculosis from a patient, and instead of going through the pain of treatment she had decided to commit suicide. Hung from the light fixture it is also believed that this nurse was pregnant and unmarried. A full body apparition of a nurse wearing white is seen on the fifth floor. It is also said that another suicide in 1932 occurred when a nurse (who worked in Room 502) committed suicide by jumping from the balcony on the roof, no motive was ever discovered. Unsettling feelings and a voice of the words “Get Out” has been found within this room.

Body Chute/ Death Tunnel
Voices are often heard down this 500 ft tunnel that was used to transport the dead bodies of the Waverly by means of motorized cart, although it is said that sometimes the bodies were physically dragged down the chute.

Cafeteria/ Kitchen
An apparition of a man wearing a white coat and pants has been seen in these areas. This man is believed to be a former employee. Food has also been smelled even though no food has entered these rooms since the closing of the facility in 1980.

Security Guards
Allegedly one night a guard walking the corridors of the building stumbled upon a floating head in one of the rooms. Scared out of his mind, he proceeded to run directly down the stairs and as he reached the bottom he fell to the ground unconscious, he never returned. Another guard had reported seeing the flicker of a television set from outside in a dark room on the Third Floor. He went to investigate but found nothing.

Over the years the Sanatorium has seen its fair share of Paranormal Investigations from top Ghost Enthusiasts throughout the world. Lights have been witnessed in parts of the building where there is no access to electricity. Objects have been thrown, people have been pushed and apparitions have been seen. For all those who have stepped into the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, I believe it is safe to say, they are all happy to have stepped out.