Hayswood Hospital, KY

For some reason, the Haunted Kentucky area of this site has always been lacking…so I’m going to try to remedy that, starting off with one of my favorite tales from the Bluegrass State.  This one has actually been on our radar for many years…so I apologize for the delay in sharing.  Please enjoy!

Hayswood Hospital is located in Maysville, Kentucky and before becoming “abandoned,” had a long history of serving the people of the state.  In the 1800s, there was no hospital in the area.  Instead, a lady by the name of May Pearl Wilson built and ran an infirmary for many years, which catered to the ill.  However, Pearl died in 1908, and the building was torn down to make room for the Hayswood Seminary, built in 1915.  The Hayswood Seminary eventually evolved into the Hayswood Hospital by 1923, with additions being added in both 1925 and 1971, resulting in the massive 4-story brick building which stands today.

Progress, however, could not be averted, and eventually the town’s population and needs outgrew the hospital.  It was closed in 1983 with the construction of the new Meadowview Regional Medical Center.  After sitting empty for 11 years, the property was finally purchased at a public auction, only to sit in limbo.  It seems that the residents of Maysville see the building as an eyesore, and would rather have the building torn down and turned into a parking lot. 

On the other hand, ghost hunters across the country would love to see the building preserved…because according to several sites, the hospital is one of the top three most haunted locations in the state, if not in the world, securing television appearances even on the Maury Show!

The ghost sightings associated with the building started long before it closed.  Patients would claim to see the apparitions of doctors and nurses.  One of the creepiest sightings, however, did not involve staff, but perhaps another patient.  The apparition of a woman carrying a baby has been seen throughout the maternity ward.  At times, the woman simply stands, holding the crying infant.  It is theorized that both the woman and child died in childbirth at the hospital.

Other experiences involve seeing shadows darting around the halls of the hospital and a stretcher that apparently moves on its own.  One does not actually have to ENTER the hospital to experience the paranormal, though!  Townspeople and visitors to the property have reported going by the hospital and having a feeling of being watched.  Some even take that claim a step further and report an apparition looking down at them from the last window on the third story.

Read more at Theresa’s Haunted History of the Tri-State