The Athens Lunatic Asylum was operational from 1874 to 1993, and was a mental hospital that provided services to everyone from Civil War veterans and children to those declared “mentally unwell.” Today it is a part of Ohio University, but when it was the Athens Lunatic Asylum, it was best known for performing lobotomies… and I think you may know where this is headed. The Asylum has made headlines several times over the years: once in 1977 when it housed multiple personality rapist Billy Milligan, and again just one year later when a patient named Margaret Schilling disappeared on December 1, 1978. This disappearance was really interesting because some of the details of the case didn’t really make any sense, but the story has also led to one of the hospital’s most famous ghost stories. Maddie and I always find stories about asylums from the past really chilling and this one doesn’t disappoint; we hope you stick around and join us for this spooky story!

Stay safe out there.

With love, Saaniya and Maddie x

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Lunatic_Asylum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkbride_Plan

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/oh-athensasylum/

https://woub.org/2019/10/29/the-legends-behind-the-ghosts-of-athens/

https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2018/summer/statement/the-athens-asylum-was-the-forefront-treatment-in-the-19th-century

https://hauntedathensohio.com/the-ridges-mental-health-institution/

https://www.hauntedjourneys.com/haunted-sites/4357-the-ridges-athens-lunatic-asylum