Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum formerly known as Weston State Hospital operated from 1864 to 1994. When it first opened its doors in the 1850s it was known as the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum but the name was later changed on several occasions. It originally had room to house 250 patients in solitary confinement but by 1880 it was up to 717. The amount steadily increased until it's highest amounts in the 1950s when it housed 2,400 patients. The resurrection of the old name is angering many people. They claim it is opening old wounds. The Associated Press reported on March 21, 2008 that they are saying, "Words like "lunatic" and "retarded" have gone the way of "colored" and "Negro" and should never be resurrected." It is also reported that one former patient broke down into tears after hearing about the name change. Daily tours of the establishment began last week for $10 to $30 depending on the length.

Fast Facts:

1. Location: Weston, West Virginia
2. Television show, Ghost Hunters filmed an episode there on March 18, 2008
3. Largest hand cut masonry building in North America
4. Designed by Richard Andrews
5. Designed as a National Historic Landmark in 1990

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