Exploring the Abandoned Indiana State Sanatorium

For Historical Information about the beautiful Indiana State Sanatorium please check out our previous blog post: Haunting Beauty

When Indiana State Sanatorium opened up for paranormal investigations I booked as soon as I could whether we found anything or not in the way of evidence I wanted to be one of the first to try. We were a little nervous going in but the buildings and property did not disappoint. The night was filled with slamming doors, sounds of foot steps, and disembodied voices. We had the property for 19 hours and wanted to make sure we made every minute count. 

We decided to leave audio recorders in several buildings so that even while we weren't there we could collect evidence. First we left one in the Superintendent's House because we thought since that building was separate from the others that was the one we were most likely to miss or spend the least time. We also left an audio recorder in room 509 of the five story building. There are rumors about a potential patient suicide in that room though I did not find a death record to confirm it. At the nurses station in the center of the nursing home we left an audio recorder and motion activated trap camera. One of the audio cameras did pick up some strange noises and I wish I had enough video cameras to leave with each audio recorder. 

We then began systematically exploring the buildings starting with the admin building.  This building would have contained dr. offices, x-ray, and the morgue during the tuberculosis days and I assume into the nursing home time.  In the five story structure we started by marching up to the fifth floor and then walked each hall. We stopped and tried several Estes Method SBOX sessions but every time we did there would be noises from the hall that would distract me away from the session.  We both came to the conclusion that the reason we were hearing disembodied voices and doors slamming may actually be because the location is so new. When we go to places like Waverly Hills Sanatorium the spirits are used to investigators and the equipment that we carry. But at Rockville I was turning on the SBOX and asking them to communicate and I have no way of telling them how to use it. So we weren't getting responses on the SBOX but we were getting slamming doors in the hall. We also got some of the clearest disembodied voices we have ever heard. To the point where there were several times when we stopped and basically called out "you won't be in trouble just let us know you are here." No live person ever showed up and it was 30 degrees out so I don't think anyone was roaming the halls and woods of the sanatorium. It was overall a very cool experience. 

I really can't get over how cool it was to walk around the buildings seeing the remnants of lives that just moved on without notice and leaving so much behind. But also considering it has been just over 10 years since the building was abandoned the amount of places where nature had found its way in to the building. There were several points where vines were growing through the window frames. 

Speaking of windows when reviewing video we did have one strange moment where we noticed the words "Never Alone" written in the condensation of a window. Then there is the sound of a door slamming and as we turn a figure moves across the window. I slowed the video down here I don't believe it is reflecting from us.

figure in the window

After exploring the five story we then walked through the nursing home walking to the center nurse station and from there going left and right down the arms before finishing back through to the admin building. We did stop at the nurse station again for an Estes method SBOX session. At this point we went out front of the admin building and looked up at the beautiful night sky. Meg set up her camera to take some long exposure night sky pictures.

We then systematically walked through the Superintendent House, checking on our recorder when we approached it again. We stopped for an SBox session Estes Method in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Let me take a moment to talk about what we mean by Estes Method. This Method is called Estes because it was first used at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado by Karl Pfeiffer, Connor Randall, and Michelle Tate. One person wears noise canceling headphones and listens to an SBOX or Spirit Box. A second person asks questions with the hope that spirits will be able to manipulate the radio waves to give an answer.  The advantage to wearing the noise canceling head phones is that the person listening to the SBox does not know what question was asked and so their brain can't try and make sense of the noises to get an answer. Sometimes the person listening to the SBox is also blindfolded which helps focus on attention on what is being heard through the headphones. I think a good session is somewhere between 20-25 minutes. 

Once we finished the loop of all the properties we stopped in the commercial building to warm up before again repeating that pattern. It meant we were moving a lot only stopping at a few spots for an extended time but the goal of this visit was to explore the property and then on a future visit we would be able to focus on specific areas. We again stopped for an SBox session in the five story and at the nurses station. This is the video from our SBox at the nurse station.

After  completing this loop we returned to the commercial building to take a nap before going out and investigating again. But first Meg sat down and read a children's story. The commercial building is a newer building but it stands where the children's ward would have been during the tuberculosis days. Reading a children's story is something we like to do in places said to be haunted by children because the hope is we give some entertainment or comfort to the spirits and maybe something that would seem familiar. 

After sleeping we got up again to explore and now in the light of day you can really see how cool the buildings look. 

This next video is a compilation of a lot of the evps, disembodied voices, and strange noises that we recorded through out the night. I used our photos of the property to show off the beauty of the property.  

Finally here is the full video of all evidence collected. 

Also in a growing series of what I call "what paranormal investigations really look like" here is some of our shorts showing funny moments or sarcasm from the night because, to be honest, when you are walking around a property at 2am it is much less screaming at hearing a demon and way more enjoying the quiet and the company and being sarcastic.... at least for us.

"choose your own adventure"

Sarcasm!

Thank you for reading and watching. We do plan on going back and this time I think we will spend more time in the Superintendent's House. Being separate from the other buildings we spent the least amount of time there but we had a lot of activity on the recorder that we left there. 

If you have enjoyed this please consider subscribing on the following platforms. We do put up evidence as we find it on tiktok and we have been using youtube shorts as well .The full videos will always be put on youtube but that is one of the last things we will do when finishing evidence review. Follow on facebook or twitter to see what investigations we have coming up. Currently we are working on evidence review from our stay at the Thomas House in Red Boiling Springs, TN and that will be followed by evidence review from The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This was a return investigation and our first multi night investigation. We spent two nights at the hotel in the most haunted rooms. Here is our original blog post from our first stay: Visiting the Crescent for the first time

For all social media links please see this post: Socials

Part 1: Indiana State Sanatarium Haunting Beauty

Haunting Beauty

In 2021 we began seeing reports that the Indiana State Sanatarium which had been closed in 2011 was opening to the public for paranormal investigations. Meg and I were excited at the opportunity to investigate a location which had only just recently been opened and so reached out to book a date in early 2022. 

The History of the Indiana State Sanatarium in Rockville Indiana.

Long before European settlers came to America the area now known as Rockville, Indiana was inhabited by the Piankeshaw Indian tribe a subgroup of the Miami Tribe. Once a thriving community by the 1800s their numbers were falling as hostilities between the Tribe and the new settlers as well as harsh winter followed by draught took its toll. In 1805 the Piankeshaw were forced to cede their properties in Indiana and move West to Missouri joining with other Native Tribes. 

In 1821 Parke County was formed with the Wabash River serving as its western boundary. Three years later Rockville was laid out and the following year it became the county seat. In July of 1854 the citizens voted to incorporate the town. 

Property records show that the land where the Indiana State Sanatarium would eventually be built was registered to Jonathan Garrison on March 12, 1831. It would then change hands multiple times. At some point there was a distillery on the property, the furnaces were found while building the administration building, however the name and owner of the distillery is unknown though it is believed to date to the 1830s. 

What is known is that in 1907 Parke County began looking for a property to build a sanatarium due to the rising number of tuberculosis cases. They had a list of demands for the property ranging from access to railroads, height above sea level, and landscaping. This helped narrow the choices down to a few properties. On October 9th, 1907 the committee tasked with finding a suitable property came to visit Rockville. For its part the town and residents of Rockville did everything they could to show why they should be selected. They saw the addition of the Sanatarium to their community as a great opportunity to sell their farm fresh goods like eggs, milk, and meat. The building of such a large building would also provide a boost to the economy as jobs both in construction and eventually healthcare would become available. Their efforts paid off and the local paper on May 6, 1908 declared that the Little Raccoon site, named for the river that ran through it, was selected by the Hospital Commission and Governor. 

Before construction could begin the property had to be purchased. The entire tract was divided between seven different land owners: Edgar Adams owned 130 acres, Gary Connelly owned 126 acres, John Adams owned 80 acres, Theodore Jessup owned 49 acres,  William and Charles Bullion owned 44 acres, Claude Kent owned 41 acres, and James Myers owned 39 acres. Either the Bullions never wanted the Sanatarium or they soured on it after the fact but their property was eventually marked condemned as they would not agree to the proposed sale price. Finally in 1909 the first cornerstone of the multi-building facility was set and construction continued over the next two years. 

On April 1st 1911 the Sanatarium opened as The Indiana State Tuberculosis Hospital and began receiving patients. At first the mortality rate was very high but within just a few years it lowered. For example in 1914 the annual report showed 53 deaths, in 1915 there were 24 deaths, in 1916 there were 30 deaths, and in 1917 there were 31 deaths. The staff worked to keep patients highly educated and involved about the disease and their treatment offering lectures 3 to 4 times a year about the disease, phases, symptoms, and treatments to help people understand and prepare for the duration of their stay. Some who recovered would help care for others. In fact the Sanatarium itself was self-sustaining with farmland, orchards, a hen house, and dairy to also help provide food for the residents.

In 1919 the name was changed to the Indiana State Sanatarium which would remain its name until 1968. 

The property consisted of the Administration Building which had doctor's offices, exam rooms, the surgery, and all records. On either side of the Administration Building connected by an enclosed passageway was a tuberculosis ward, one for men and one for women. The wards consisted of long open hallways to allow fresh air and sunlight, two of the main treatments for tuberculosis at the time, to fill the patients' rooms. Originally each ward was built to house 140 each however that number increased and eventually they also had a waiting list of over 400. 

Credit: Indiana State Historical Society

In 1913 the State Sanatarium Bridge was added over the Little Raccoon creek to help aid in travel to the hospital. The bridge is a Kingpost Truss Burr Arch structure spanning 154 feet designed by Joseph A. Britton. 

Unfortunately the tuberculosis wards no longer remain because they were removed and repurposed to build the nursing home. Only the tunnels below them used to access the steam pipes remain. Those steam pipes were heated by the coal burning power plant built on site to power the Sanatarium. As we drove around the area it was the smoke stack of the power plant that told us we were getting close, which makes me sad to know the stack is being removed due to structural issues.

 

As time passed more buildings were added including a children's ward and schoolhouse that at its height served 100 children. 

Indiana Historical Society

A five story building, Adams Hall, was also added in the 50s as staff housing and that building still remains having been repurposed over the years.

Around 1922 the Superintendent's Residence was added to the property. This two story structure had multiple entrances indicating that it may have been split between multiple families/staff. 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s many large facilities like the Indiana State Sanatarium opened throughout the country. Tuberculosis was a rising disease that had a lot of fear surrounding it because little was understood about it and treatment was very limited. For the majority of patients that came to Rockville the main prescription was clean air, sanitary conditions, and good food. However there were other treatments that today seem cruel. For example in 1914 they injected nitrogen between the chest wall and lungs in order to collapse the lung and allow it to "rest" and slow the spread of tuberculosis. In five of those they also removed the ribs to help collapse the lung. According to the Superintendent W.A. Geckler "[n]o patients are subject to [surgery] who have any possible chance of recovery without it. Surgery in diseases of the lung is and must remain a last resort." For the doctors and staff at the time I imagine the balance between  "do no harm" and also trying to save and preserve life weighed heavy on their minds. 

With the development of streptomycin to treat tuberculosis in 1943 by Selman Waksman, Elizabeth Bugie, and Albert Schatz large Sanatariums like the one at Rockville began to empty. The property was taken over by a conglomerate and renamed Lee Alan Bryant Healthcare Center. The five story building originally used to house staff became Adams Hall, a mental institution. On the first and second floor coed patients were housed, the third floor was reserved for woman, the fourth floor for men, and the fifth floor supposedly housed more dangerous patients. Between Adams Hall and the original Administration building a single story cross shaped 120 bed nursing home was added. 

Unfortunately as good as the Indiana State Sanatarium was at treating its patients Lee Alan Bryant was bad. There are allegations of abuse, suicides, escapes, and a murder suicide. There are reports of patients running away in the middle of the night and dying from exposure in the surrounding woods. There are stories of a woman who ran away and climbed to the top of the water tower. She was found frozen the next day. Some patients would be lost in the woods their remains found days or more later. Looking back now it looks like the whole situation was out of control for patients and staff. There are reports of attacks between patients and patients and staff. There was a murder suicide between two employees near the power plant with multiple stories about the dispute whether it was over a promotion, raise, drugs, or something else we are not sure. Throughout the building there are passive aggressive notes hanging on the walls warning staff and patients about acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. In 2012 after multiple complaints the state came to Lee Alan Bryant and shut it down. Patients were released or moved to other facilities. Staff were sent away. 

Today nature has worked hard at reclaiming the buildings. Vines grow through the windows and birds nest in the vents. Suitcases, personal belongings, pay slips, and hospital equipment remain. Drywall has fallen down and paint peels from the walls. 

Part 2 Coming Soon.