We here at The Occult Section and New York Paranormal Society are great lovers of history, and always respect history in our investigations. It makes us sad to see any historic building get demolished, but at the same time, it is sometimes necessary. Especially when the buildings become so run down that they pose more hazards that historical significance. Case in point: this tuberculosis ward on the campus of Ohio State University.
“An old abandoned mental hospital and/or tuberculosis ward? It MUST be haunted!”
ATHENS, Ohio – Preservationists lost a battle as an historic — and supposedly haunted — building on the campus of Ohio University began to fall to demolition crews.
Community members had fought to save the 88-year-old Ridges Building 26. It was built as a tuberculosis ward to a historically significant state mental hospital that operated on the property for more than a century beginning in 1868.
The Athens Messenger reports that portions of the building were reduced to piles of rubble as demolition began Thursday.
The university decided to tear down the vacant structure because it had become an “attractive nuisance,” frequently subject to trespassing and vandalism.
OU obtained the building and others collectively known as The Ridges from the Ohio Department of Mental Health in a land swap.
For whatever reason, abandoned mental hospitals and tuberculosis hospitals are like bright burning flames to the ghost hunter moths out there. Paranormal investigators tend to salivate whenever they hear of a mental hospital that may be haunted. Or even if it’s not, they want to investigate anyways. I guess crazy ghosts are more interesting. Anyway, whether these places are more active or not, trespassing is never a good idea, and putting your life in danger in order to see if there is really an afterlife? Well, the jokes write themselves. Just don’t do it. Sad to see this building go, but better the building get torn down than someone get seriously injured or die.
