Athens Mental Health Center

By: Angel Cancel

             

           Athens, Ohio is a very old town with many historical events. There are many things that make Athens unique, but the one that stands out the most is the Athens Mental Health Center. The mental hospital was also know by many other names across its life span, such as, Athens Hospital, Athens Asylum for the insane, Athens State Hospital, South-eastern Hospital for the insane, Athens Lunatic Asylum, and Southeast Ohio Mental Health Center. But now it is currently being called the “Ridges”.

The mental hospital was open from 1874 until 1993. Hermna Haerllin was a student and he was the person that made up the original design of the hospital. From the first glance at the hospital it looks like it was a mansion and that is what the designer wanted people to think.The designers wanted people to be attracted to it, by its pleasant appearance. During its time that it was open, the facility took care of people that were in the civil war, that were criminals, that were children, and people that suffered severe mental disabilities.In the beginning the facility gave many recreational activities such as boating and painting. The asylum grew by more than a thousand people after the first couple years. This like of the asylum brought overcrowding, which brought down the quality of the hospital and its workers.The hospital also had new measures to keep its patients under control.


The Athens Asylum for the insane was best known for its lobotomy procedure. Many other procedures were also done at the hospital, which some people may call unethical, such as electroshock, hydrotherapy, and the use of psychotropic drugs. Athens Mental Health Center closed in 1933 because of Ohio University. The facility has now been changed and is now the Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare center. 

  Another thing the hospital was best known or still is known for is its paranormal activity. There is said to be 1,930 people buried at the cemeteries located at the “Ridges”.  Many stories, true or false, have been created because of this mental hospital. One story is about this lady named Margaret Schilling that disappeared from one of the wards and her body was found in ward N. 20 near a year later. Margaret Schilling dead body left a stain,some people say due to sunlight but who knows.But people say she haunts the old site and other people that have died there as well. Honestly, who really knows but all in all this is one amazing place and everyone should go to the “Ridges”. Who knows you might see a ghost!!!

http://www.forgottenoh.com/Ridges/ridges.html