Virginia has an extensive history, and it’s no surprise that many of its historic buildings have quite a haunted reputation. That’s certainly true of the abandoned DeJarnette Center in Staunton. Founded in 1932, it served as a mental hospital for decades before it was abandoned altogether. Today, all that remains are the ruins of this building and its troubled history. Here’s more on why DeJarnette Sanitarium, an abandoned Virginia hospital, is among the most haunted places on earth.
Please note that the DeJarnette Center is permanently closed and cannot be visited.
Tucked away in Staunton is an abandoned hospital formerly known as the DeJarnette Sanitarium. Founded in 1932, this structure now sits as an abandoned site with a notoriously haunted reputation.
Ella Hudson / flickr
The landmark was established in 1932 by Dr. Joseph DeJarnette, also the founder of the nearby Western State Hospital. Dr. DeJarnette was a well-known doctor at the time. Unfortunately, he is associated with his belief in eugenics, a horrible philosophy that ruined the lives of many patients.
Ben Schumin / flickr
It wasn’t long before Dr. DeJarnette’s atrocities left his reputation tarnished for good. The sanatarium was transformed into a children’s hospital before relocating in the ’90s. Since then, the former hospital has been left to ruin.
Ben Schumin / flickr
Given the tragic history of this abandoned building, it’s no surprise that it carries such haunted energy.
Josh Powell / Google
Those who visited the abandoned site before it was boarded up for good reported hearing the sounds of anguished screams, despite the building being completely empty.
Ben Schumin / flickr
Others believe the landmark is still haunted by Dr. DeJarnette himself.
Josh Powell / Google
This abandoned building is not open to visitors, which may be for the best considering the reports of paranormal activity.
Ben Schumin / flickr
Have you ever heard about the abandoned DeJarnette Sanitarium in Staunton? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! For related content, check out our list of abandoned places in Virginia that are sure to send a chill up your spine.
Ella Hudson / flickr
Ben Schumin / flickr
Josh Powell / Google
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Address: Staunton, VA 24401, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
DeJarnette Sanitarium August 23, 2022 Sarah M. Is DeJarnette Sanitarium the only haunted sanitarium in Virginia? While DeJarnette Sanitarium is the most notoriously haunted sanitarium in Virginia, there are many, many more abandoned asylums and hospitals in the Old Dominion. The Public Hospital in Colonial Williamsburg is the oldest psychiatric hospital in the nation and the first hospital specifically purposed for treatment of the mentally ill. Founded in 1773, the Public Hospital was built at a time when mental illness was not diagnosed by a doctor, but rather by a jury-like group of 12 citizens who gave a verdict of “criminal, lunatic, or idiot.” As with many early asylums, conditions were barbaric and patients lived in small cells outfitted with only a straw mattress and chamber pot. When John Minson Galt II took over the hospital in 1841, conditions improved as “moral management” began being used for treatment, emphasizing self-control, work therapy, and leisure activities. Patients were given beds and other “luxuries,” while activities like lectures, concerts, and visits into town were provided along with a library and workshops for sewing, carpentry, and shoemaking to teach practical skills. Given all of this, it’s no surprise that this former hospital is now the home to many a lore and legend, and some of the most hair-raising ghost stories in Virginia. What are some abandoned places in Virginia? There’s something about old, abandoned places that causes the mind to wander. Virginia Renaissance Faire in Fredericksburg has since been forsaken by the unkind passage of time. Off Kings Highway, these once-riotous festival grounds now sit abandoned, the Tudor-style structures slowly being consumed by the wild woodlands of Virginia. This Renaissance Faire was built in the 1990s as a permanent home for the Virginia festival, but attendance never met expectations, and after a few unsuccessful seasons, the property faced foreclosure. Today, the Virginia Renaissance Faire is a shadow of its former self, an ironic reminder of a bygone time, and one of the most curious haunted sites in the state.
The OIYS Visitor Center
DeJarnette Sanitarium
August 23, 2022
Sarah M.
Is DeJarnette Sanitarium the only haunted sanitarium in Virginia? While DeJarnette Sanitarium is the most notoriously haunted sanitarium in Virginia, there are many, many more abandoned asylums and hospitals in the Old Dominion. The Public Hospital in Colonial Williamsburg is the oldest psychiatric hospital in the nation and the first hospital specifically purposed for treatment of the mentally ill. Founded in 1773, the Public Hospital was built at a time when mental illness was not diagnosed by a doctor, but rather by a jury-like group of 12 citizens who gave a verdict of “criminal, lunatic, or idiot.” As with many early asylums, conditions were barbaric and patients lived in small cells outfitted with only a straw mattress and chamber pot. When John Minson Galt II took over the hospital in 1841, conditions improved as “moral management” began being used for treatment, emphasizing self-control, work therapy, and leisure activities. Patients were given beds and other “luxuries,” while activities like lectures, concerts, and visits into town were provided along with a library and workshops for sewing, carpentry, and shoemaking to teach practical skills. Given all of this, it’s no surprise that this former hospital is now the home to many a lore and legend, and some of the most hair-raising ghost stories in Virginia. What are some abandoned places in Virginia? There’s something about old, abandoned places that causes the mind to wander. Virginia Renaissance Faire in Fredericksburg has since been forsaken by the unkind passage of time. Off Kings Highway, these once-riotous festival grounds now sit abandoned, the Tudor-style structures slowly being consumed by the wild woodlands of Virginia. This Renaissance Faire was built in the 1990s as a permanent home for the Virginia festival, but attendance never met expectations, and after a few unsuccessful seasons, the property faced foreclosure. Today, the Virginia Renaissance Faire is a shadow of its former self, an ironic reminder of a bygone time, and one of the most curious haunted sites in the state.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
While DeJarnette Sanitarium is the most notoriously haunted sanitarium in Virginia, there are many, many more abandoned asylums and hospitals in the Old Dominion. The Public Hospital in Colonial Williamsburg is the oldest psychiatric hospital in the nation and the first hospital specifically purposed for treatment of the mentally ill. Founded in 1773, the Public Hospital was built at a time when mental illness was not diagnosed by a doctor, but rather by a jury-like group of 12 citizens who gave a verdict of “criminal, lunatic, or idiot.” As with many early asylums, conditions were barbaric and patients lived in small cells outfitted with only a straw mattress and chamber pot. When John Minson Galt II took over the hospital in 1841, conditions improved as “moral management” began being used for treatment, emphasizing self-control, work therapy, and leisure activities. Patients were given beds and other “luxuries,” while activities like lectures, concerts, and visits into town were provided along with a library and workshops for sewing, carpentry, and shoemaking to teach practical skills. Given all of this, it’s no surprise that this former hospital is now the home to many a lore and legend, and some of the most hair-raising ghost stories in Virginia.
What are some abandoned places in Virginia?
There’s something about old, abandoned places that causes the mind to wander. Virginia Renaissance Faire in Fredericksburg has since been forsaken by the unkind passage of time. Off Kings Highway, these once-riotous festival grounds now sit abandoned, the Tudor-style structures slowly being consumed by the wild woodlands of Virginia. This Renaissance Faire was built in the 1990s as a permanent home for the Virginia festival, but attendance never met expectations, and after a few unsuccessful seasons, the property faced foreclosure. Today, the Virginia Renaissance Faire is a shadow of its former self, an ironic reminder of a bygone time, and one of the most curious haunted sites in the state.
