Episode 34: Haunting in the Holler: The Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Today we are grabbing our flashlights, our rosaries, and our TB tests to head into the hills of Kentucky and prance about a structure so terrifying and imposing that it is considered one of the most haunted places on Earth! Today on The Odder, we are heading to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium to slide down the body shoot, duct the ghosts, and spend the night with some seriously sinister spirits. Hopefully we are all up to date on our shots and let’s go!

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Music Credit:
"Ghost Story" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Main Theme:
"Dream Catcher" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Transcript

1. Hello and Welcome to The Odder podcast. I’m your host Madison Paige and today we are grabbing our flashlights, our rosaries, and our TB tests to head into the hills of Kentucky and prance about a structure so terrifying and imposing that it is considered one of the most haunted places on Earth! Today on The Odder, we are heading to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium to slide down the body shoot, duct the ghosts, and spend the night with some seriously sinisters spirits. Hopefully we are all up to date on our shots and let’s go!
2. Good Morning, Midnight, and Moon, My Odders, how is everyone doing today? Did everyone search through their cutlery to try to find the cult pieces? Did you all hear the clicking? I know you did! I appreciate all the people who told me they just thought it was part of the episode, you bunch of liars. So if you heard the clicking or if it happens again, it is a by-product of an editing technique. Typically I’m good about going through the episodes before publishing and clearing any of those out but apparently if I am tired enough, I’ll miss it. So apologies but there is no way for me to correct the error once it’s published so it gets to be immortalized for all time on an episode about a cult. Anyway, I hope you still enjoyed the episode otherwise. Of course, if you really enjoyed it or if you didn't, please leave a rating and review, they really do help! For the returning listeners, welcome back, for the new listeners, welcome welcome to The Odder podcast where we are a trail mix of all things unknown, unsolved, and just plain odd. If you have an idea for an episode you think would be fun, good news! I do listener requests so if you want your own personalized episode, you can send me an email at theodderpod@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you and know what you want to hear from me! Quick little note before we begin, I don’t know if everyone knows this but because I do have some listeners who use Stitcher, Stitcher is going to be closing down and you will no longer be able to listen to The Odder or any podcast on it. However, no fear, The Odder is available on all streaming services and if you are having any trouble finding a good way to stream me. Reach out. I’m not a ghoul and I do want you to listen so if you are having trouble finding us on alternate streaming services, you can reach me on facebook, instagram, tiktok, twitter, wherever and I will be happy to help! Today we are rubbing elbows with the spirits in one of the most notoriously haunted locations on earth. Waverly Hills Sanatorium. This is an episode I am actually super excited about as this beauty is in my old Kentucky home and I have had the pleasure of visiting it myself several times. It’s a massive building built with the best intentions that now sits claiming to host a handful of haunts that guarantee to spook even the bravest soul among you. 
3. In nearly every period movie worth its salt, is a character dying of Tuberculosis. Typically featured was a pretty young woman coughing a dainty few drops of blood into a white handkerchief, but in actuality to be diagnosed with TB in the early 1900’s was most often a death sentence. The majority of those who contracted the disease were not aware of it until it was too late. Historically called Consumption and later The White Plague, TB causes its sufferers to experience a chronic cough with bloody mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. TB is extremely contagious and spreads through the air from person to person. 
4. And it is still an active disease that you can still contract but any who.
5. In the start of the 20th Century, Louisville Kentucky actually had one of the highest rates of TB deaths in the United States. This was blamed on the lack of fresh air as at the time it was thought stagnant air was the cause of the spread. In order to contain the outbreak, a Board of Tuberculosis Hospital was created in 1906 and charged with finding a location in which to construct a new facility. Eventually they settled on Waverly Hill.
6. The land was originally bought by Major Thomas H Hays who purchased the picturesque acreage in 1883 to construct his home on. However, the location was very remote and had no nearby schools. Hays valued education, especially for his children, so he built a one room school house on the property and hired a Ms. Lizzie Lee Harris as its teacher. Lizzie loved the author Walter Scott Waverly and asked Hay’s if he might allow the school to be called the Waverly School. Hays agreed and went so far as to rename his property Waverly Hill. 
7. Waverly Hill was remote, tranquil, and its altitude made for perfect air flow thus making it the ideal location on which to construct a sanatorium to contain all those infected with TB. 
8. In 1908, the Construction on Waverly Hill’s Sanatorium began. The Board voted to keep the name as they believed it sounded calming. It would take two years to complete construction of the two story wooden administration building that contained two connected open air pavilions to house 20 male and 20 female patients on each side. The whole building cost 25,000 dollars to construct and officially opened on July 26,1910. 
9. However, 40 beds was quickly determined to not be near enough what they needed and construction began a second time to add a new 5 story brick and concrete building in March 1924. This building held a total of 400 patients and opened October 17th, 1926. 
10. With the construction complete, Waverly Hills filled her beds and then closed her gates, becoming a self sufficient community. TB was so contagious that it was thought better to simply keep everything in the family so to speak. Laundry facilities, a maintenance garage, a butcher, and even acres of farmland where animals and crops were tended and consumed by the sanatorium blossomed around the estate. The nurses and doctors all lived on the property and “The Hill'' even had its own zip code and post office. It was generally perceived that once you entered Waverly Hills for work or for treatment, you did not leave it. The Sanatorium was a beauty and considered the most modern and well equipped facility of its time. 
11. However, this did not always mean the patient's care was truly the best. Treatments for Tuberculosis before the vaccine ranged from harsh to horrifying. Doctors often prescribed fresh air, sunlight, and rest. And this meant all the time. The sanatorium was built without windows in the patient rooms to allow the constant circulation of air. This led to the unintended side effect of meaning the patients were often exposed to the cold and snow in the winter and the heat in the summer. Pictures of patients wrapped in blankets in bed sitting inches from snow are all over the internet. Some patients had parts of their lungs surgically removed or collapsed in a misguided attempt to let the organ rest and recover. In some instances, Balloons were surgically placed in the lungs and inflated to aid breathing. As you can imagine, this usually only made things worse. 
12. This would not last and in 1943, a new antibiotic was finally discovered to combat Tuberculosis. In 1949, it was freely available and the need for a self contained Sanatorium diminished. 
13. Waverly Hills would close it’s doors in June 1961. 
14. The building was abandoned for almost a year before reopening in 1962 as Woodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home for ageing patients with dementia and mobility limits as well as the severely mentally handicapped. However in 1982, a swirling of reports of patient abuse and dilapidated facilities caused a grand jury to shut its doors.
15.  In 1983, the land around the building began to be auctioned off piece by piece. The main hospital building as 40 acres of land were purchased by a developer with the hopes of transforming it into a minimum-security state prison. However, the locals protested so energetically that the plans were dropped. The developer then tried to renovate it into apartments but was unable to complete this due to lack of funding. 
16. In March 1996, an even stranger turn of events would occur when Rober Alberhasky bought Waverly Hills with the intention to construct the world’s tallest statue of Jesus on the site along with an arts and worship center. The 150 foot tall statue was to be constructed on the roof of the sanatorium before converting the building into a chapel, theater, and a gift shop. The whole endeavor ran up a perceived cost of 12 million dollars. This was abandoned however when Alberhasky was only ever able to raise $3,000. 
17. No big jesus for Kentucky. 
18. In 2001, Alberhasky sold Waverly Hills to Tina and Charlie Mattingly who established the Waverly Hills Historical Society in an effort to restore the sanatorium to its former glory. The Mattingly’s still own and operate Waverly Hills and support its constant need for repairs and renovations by opening it up to tours, private events, paranormal investigations and an annual haunted house. 
19. The Big Batwing Building has been through a lot in its time but what is it most known for is its ghosts.
20. You couldn't ask for a better spider web for ghost activity. A TB hospital, a retirement home accused of abuse, and ties to religion. It’s a paranormal hotbed. Ghostly sounds, slamming doors, thrown objects as well as several full body apparitions have terrified visitors for years. 
21. The internet is full of pictures of supposed ghosts caught on site at the facility. I thought we’d touch on a few of the well-known and I’ll even finish off by telling you about what happened when I visited there. 
22.  One of the most well known ghosts said to haunt the halls is Timmy. Believed to be the spirit of a young boy, Timmy is said to roll around a ball and even play with guests on the top floor. When waverly hills was at it’s peak, the top floor was the children's wing. The children were not permitted to leave to play outside and were entertained with toys and dolls on the roof. It is said that if you roll a ball down a long hallway, sometimes Timmy will roll it back to you.
23. Another well known spirit is that of a Nurse in Room 502. Many report seeing shapes moving in the windows and have heard disembodied voices whispering in the room itself. It is said that in 1928, a nurse committed suicide by hanging herself from the doorway. The reason for her suicide is blamed upon a diagnosis of TB and the horror she feared awaiting her in treatment. It is also said that in 1932 another nurse jumped from the patio of the roof next to room 502 after becoming pregnant out of wedlock with a married doctor. It is debated though whether she jumped or was pushed by her lover. While neither of these instances can be historically proven, the strange activity within the room has been documented by many visitors and seems to hint that something happened there. 
24. There are also stories of a homeless man and his large white dog who are seen walking around the floors near the elevators. Staff claim the man and dog died there after being pushed into the elevator shaft either by other homeless men or teenagers. Another man in a white coat is often seen walking in the kitchen and the smell of cooking food and fresh baked bread can be found in the air. A little girl is sometimes seen running back and forth on the four floor, a woman with bleeding wrists that calls out for help before vanishing, even a ghostly hearse seen driving up to the bottom of the now defunct body chute have all been reported. 
25. The Body Chute itself is said to be the mecha of hauntings. Utilized originally, to transport the bodies of the dead down the hill in a private manner, the chute is a deep, narrow, terrifying tunnel that sits at the back of the building and stretches a monstrous 537 feet. It is claimed that over 63,000 bodies left the hill through the Body Chute. The deceased would be laid on a gurney and wrapped in a sheet or placed in a coffin with a cable affixed. The gurney would then be guided down the ramp by a staff member to an awaiting hearse below. The staff member would then often “ride” the gurney backup to recover the next body. Also used by staff of the old sanatorium to enter and exit the property, it is often reported that people hear voices and see figures marching up and down the ramp. Orbs and balls of light have also been reported to float around the chute. 
26. Waverly Hills is also said to be home to those not of this world. Shadow People, Dopplegangers, and something notoriously called the Creeper which is said to crawl about on all fours and slither around the halls have been reported to torment those who disrespect the sanctity of the santorum. People report seeing shadow figures grabbing at guests, skittering across the floors, walls, and ceilings, and capturing recordings of voices asking for help or giving aggressive warnings to leave. Some have reported feeling cold spots trailing over their bodies, investigators getting punched or grabbed, and a surgery suite that is notorious for causing guests to become nauseous enough to vomit. 
27. The Sanatorium has also faced its share of defacement. Teenagers, thrill seekers, and the homeless have all taken their turns invading the halls. Graffiti fills the building but these encounters dont always end as a cheap thrill. One group of teens found themselves particularly unlucky when a door to a stairwell slammed shut trapping them on the fourth floor. The teens were apparently so spooked and tormented by whatever they saw that they took a hatchet to the door desperately trying to escape. When law enforcement arrived and went up to free the kids, they found gashes in the door from their desperate attempts to pry it open. Strangely the door was not locked and opened right away for the cops. 
28. The ghosts are not welcoming to those not welcome.
29. I have heard my own tales from people who went about becoming sick, coming home with scratches and bruises, and being plagued by nightmares and I have had my own experiences when I went. I have been on two separate occasions. The first time I went I was eighteen and so excited I could barely contain myself. I went on a day tour in the late fall. The tour is stunning and I really recommend it. It's just a lot  of fun for the money even if you don’t see much of anything. The most pressing thing I remember was the feeling of constant water drops on the back of my neck. For the entirety of the tour, I kept feeling what I can describe as cold drops of water hitting the back of my neck and rolling down. However, when I would reach up to brush it off, my neck would be completely dry. It did not matter where I shifted or even when I stood pressed against my cousin who was the responsible adult with me, I could not escape the feeling of the water drops until I left the building. I also saw a shadow person. On the tour, the guide asked for volunteers to walk alone down a hallway that ended in a U curve who would then walk back with their arms outstretched. This created an optical illusion that appeared as though the volunteers arms were stretching inhumanly long. They also said sometimes you could see a shadow slithering up the body of the volunteer once separated from the group. Well I was young and full of vinegar and I volunteered right away. I walked to the end of the hall where the U curve bent to lead to a rec room with glass walls. I remember thinking that I was afraid something was going to snatch my head band off when I hit the U curve and stopped to turn around, reach out my arms and wait as the tour guide instructed me. While she explained to the group about the optical illusion, I heard a noise in the rec room behind me and looked over my shoulder to check. From the door of the room I saw what I can only describe as a smokey black figure lean out, turn to look at me and then duck back inside. There was no optical illusion because I was so spooked that I dropped my arms and raced back to the group, terrified. On my second visit, I was 22 and went with my college roommate to a night tour. We were standing on what I believe was either the third or fourth floor outside the elevator while the tour guide told us the story of the homeless man and the dog. My roommate stood in front of my, and I am a fairly tall lady, sorry to dash anyones hopes that I was short in any way, and my roommate at the time was a pretty short girl and It was cold and we had ended up standing with me leaning over her and my arms wrapped around her shoulders. We were standing parallel to an open door into another room. As I am leaning on my roommate and we are listening to the tour guide, I begin to see out of the corner of my eye a black fog. And I mean it was thick, I could not see through it thick, Black black fog was forming in the darkness of this room and It is hard to explain how you can see a darker form in a dark room but you can. And the way I am standing I can see into the room pretty well and I’m frozen watching this deep, deep darkness just billowing around in this room before it starts coming out the door as just a huge formless mass. I’m so afraid of this fog that I can’t move but I can feel my roommate grab my arms that are still around her and shuffle us slightly closer to the tour guide. The guide finishes her spiel and then turns towards the room and the fog just vanishes. Like it was never there and she begins to tell us the story of a guy on a tour who went stomping into the room and came out yelling about something with black eyes. She then offered us the chance to step into the room which I politely declined. As we waited for people to shuffle in and out of the room, I’m still leaning on my roommate who suddenly looks at me and says “Did you see that?” and all I can respond with is “The black thing? The Fog?” and apparently My roomate had also seen it and was much more pulled together than me to think we might want to get away from it. 
30. So both of my visits were eventful, I will say I think when you enter into haunted spaces you have to enter with neither too much skepticism or too much belief. You can neither be looking for something or determined not to see anything. I have rarely actually had my own encounters when visiting haunted locations but both visits to Waverly, I saw something I feel like I wasn't supposed to and in the case of the first one, it saw me.
31. Waverly Hills Sanatorium is often lauded as the most haunted place in America or the world. It is said to be a hotbed of ghost activities and at the same time is accused of being nothing more than a tourist trap. Do I believe Waverly Hills Sanatorium is haunted, personally yes. Based on my own experiences there. But not everyone does. It is okay to be a skeptic and it is okay to be a believer. But if you have visited Waverly Hills Sanatorium and had your own experience, I would love to hear it. Drop it in a comment, an email, or send it down the Body Chute, I’ll be waiting in the Hearse below.

 Well, that’s all for this episode. So what do you think? Do you believe Waverly Hills is haunted? Which ghost would you want to encounter? Do you think it’s all just a big fat hoax? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and leave a review. The Odder Pod is also on TikTok. Come follow us there! Have a suggestion for a show? Send me an email at theodderpod@gmail.com with your request and whether you’d like me to mention your name, your alias, or nothing at all. Remember this is The Odder Side so give me something cool, creepy, or confusing to deep dive for you. If you liked the show, leave us a review! They really help! Hey it never hurts to get a TB test! The Odder Podcast posts every other Thursday. Thanks for listening and I’ll see you next time on The Odder side.