Pennhurst Asylum Part One: Horrors and History

Last month The Schizos, took on the notorious Pennhurst Asylum. To your average ghost-hunting connoisseur or Zak Bagans enthusiast, this place is the cream of the crop, top of the line. You’ve all heard the stories. Sasha (Ghost Rider) explained this was a “rite of passage” for the ghost-hunting community. She’s more “in tune” with spirituality than I am. I went into this without any knowledge of the place, setting no expectations and cutting out any wiggle room to “look for a feeling” that wasn’t there. Expectations and anxiety can do crazy things to the mind. 

A Brief Overview:

For this trip, I rented out the asylum. The whole place was ours to do with as we please. The security guard set us up in our HQ, essentially the lobby with an oversized space heater inside. The security guard, by coincidence, happened to be somewhat of an expert on the place’s history, so naturally, we interviewed him. 

I was more fascinated by history than its supposed haunted aspect. Just hearing the name, I was under the impression this was another lunatic asylum. However, Pennhurst was a whole separate ordeal. It was established in November 1908 as an institution for the developmentally disabled, specifically for children. Places such as this were also pioneers of the big eugenics ideologies of the time, which I’ll dive into later.

Complete with an outdoor and indoor playground, this place seemed like a great spot to send your children. Nice green grass and beautiful architecture. A paradise, it seemed. At the time, it was in the middle of nowhere, and to get there was by bus or car. Not many people had a car at the time, so the odds of you seeing your child again were slim. I am not an expert in this field, so I’ll leave the meat and cheese to the OG investigative reporter who brought the horrors to light. Click here for “Suffer the Little Children” to get the whole experience. 

Horrors of the Asylum:

It was clear the intentions of this place were pure, but it quickly descended into chaos with overcrowding and a lack of essential staff. A point our interviewee brought up was the double-sided coin that came with what went on here. Although these children were mistreated and the living conditions were atrocious, we would not have made the advancements in medical care today were it not for this establishment. It’s a chilling, bold, but true statement. Electroconvulsive therapy was pioneered here. Lobotomies were also a big market. 

He (the guard—ask Alexa for the name) told us a story about a little girl named Emily, a ghost who has been reported seen on the 3rd floor of the Mayflower building. He informed us this was bizarre, given that the area was male-only. The buildings were divided by gender, and the floor was where the male residents stayed. Do with that what you will. 

He had mentioned often that during its 100-year span, Pennhurst became somewhat of a reflection of society through time. Making a point that a separate building called (ask Alexa) was established due to the ongoing women’s suffrage movement. You could get a woman locked away for several “illnesses” that were often unfavorable and absurd by today’s standards. As time progressed, it seemed as though Pennhurst was used as an excuse to get rid of people you didn’t like instead of helping them get treatment. Especially the women. 

Oddities and Intricacies:

We were curious to see how they kept this place up and running, or rather, from being demolished. To keep this property, they have to bring in funding somehow. He told us they host events called “Haunted Attraction,” like a haunted house. They also allow ghost tours in groups. You can even host your wedding there. (That sounds like a great idea to me.)

That was particularly interesting to me, as he mentioned respecting the place to honor the children who died and suffered there and preserve history. I had thought it ironic, given that he mentioned not being disrespectful. However, his explanation was quite sweet. Since the children sent to Pennhurst were essentially abandoned and the likelihood of them having genuine contact was slim to none, the haunted attraction gives them the affection and attention they lacked. 

In short, Pennhurst seemed to be not only a big pioneer for eugenics and medical care but also served as a staple of what not to do in that respective field. Places such as this should serve as a treatment center, not a place to abandon people you don’t want to deal with anymore. With everything happening in current history, maybe it’s time to renovate and reopen these facilities. But this time do it right. Who knows? Happy hunting schizos.