Virginia’s Strangest: The DeJarnette Sanitarium

July 27, 2024 Mary Cook Geivett

Abandoned DeJarnette Sanitorium. Photo by Mary Cook Geivett. Not for reuse

Life in an Eighteen-Wheeler

July 16, 2024: Delivery to the Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia. My husband and I sat by a window of one of our favorite Southern fast-food chains, Bojangles. As I gazed out the window, I exclaimed excitedly, “What’s THAT?!”

Sitting atop a hill, blocked by a forest of trees, was a majestic Greek Revival mansion covered in ivy. Its windows were boarded shut, but the large building called my name. My husband agreed we could take our mandatory half-hour break to explore the building and property before we continued our delivery.

A Brief History of DeJarnette Sanitarium

The DeJarnette Sanitarium, founded in 1828 in Staunton, Virginia, has also been called the Western State Hospital and the Western State Lunatic Asylum. It was a hospital for the mentally ill and the handicapped. The original hospital grounds were designed to be a resort-style hospital with the best intentions for the care of its patients.

It was by the mid-19th century that the good intentions were lost due to overcrowding. Additionally, inhumane treatments and experiments were used on patients with no rights. Eugenist Joseph DeJarnette was director of the hospital for nearly forty years (1906-1943). During that time, he was notorious for practicing lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and sterilization.

Later, the facility was also used as a youth home and even a penitentiary. While the site did become registered as a national historic site, the original site was closed. The hospital was moved to a new location in Staunton.

The original Western State Hospital. Photo By Ned Hartley – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34119941

Once in a Lifetime Experience of the Dark History of DeJarnette Sanitarium.

My husband and I parked across the road and walked into the property. It is gated and barred. It is private property, so we took the risk of being busted with a hefty fine. Not armed and carrying only phones for light, we climbed through broken doors to investigate the main floor of the building. Due to time and a lack of supplies, we did not investigate every floor.

My husband investigated the darkness with concern for other people who might be in the building. We had heard stories of the homeless, mentally ill, or people under the influence of drugs and alcohol who often hide or live in abandoned buildings. On the other hand, I was more concerned for the spooks and haunts of evil deeds gone by. My flashlight would do me a lot of good in a situation like that! While we were investigating, I would crack the occasional joke. For instance, “That’s where they performed the lobotomies.” In the boiler house, I said, “That’s where they burn the bodies!”

Unfortunately, and very sadly, I was ignorantly stating the truth. While we investigated the property, I was unaware of the building’s history. It was only until we researched it that night that I realized the sanitarium’s very dark history. The lobotomies, sterilization, electroshock therapy, and incineration stories are all true.

Is this the furnace used to incinerate patients? Or is that furnace long gone? Photo by Mary Cook Geivett. Not for reuse.

I don’t know if the abandoned hospital has haunts, but I do know that the estate is hauntingly beautiful and has a very sad story. If you choose to visit it, it is private property, and trespassing may result in a large fine. I also know that the building’s structure is unsafe. Adventurer beware!