Asylum on the HIll

[cornerofmadness]

I went to Katherine Ziff's talk on her book of the same title. It's about the first 20 years of the Ridges, Athens Lunatic Asylum (I've posted photos before). It was very interesting just how much patient info there still is. This was part of her dissertation. The Athens Lunatic Asylum was built on the Kirkbride plan which harkened back to ancient Greece using landscape as part of the healing. It was the idea of moral treatment starting around early to mid 1800's coming out of the chain 'em up philosophy of mental health care. check out the kirkbride buildings At one point Athens Lunatic Asylum was 1000 acres and hosted events that regular townspeople came up to enjoy. It housed all sorts of people, Civil War vets with soldier's heart, the homeless, the kids no one could treat, people trying to organize labor unions...

The one downside to it was she's a counselor and talks with that soft placating counselor's voice. I'm sure it's great in a session but it was very soporific. You need someone like me talking. I have a voice like a foghorn. What was just as interesting was a male nurse who worked there in the latter years was there and an attendant from the 50's were there and she attested to the number of lobotomies performed. One of the people I went with (a friend from work and her roommate) had a great grandmother who lived there as an attendant. The doctors and their families lived on staff. They had pools/islands made to beautify the surroundings and they farmed the area. The fountain you can see in the kirbridge link (Athens is the first on the right) is no longer there BUT it's not destroyed and might be moved back on premesis (part of this has been repurposed for OU as their art museum).

I think it would be cool if they could reclaim the rest and make it into apts. I'd move there and then I thought, wasn't there just a show from the BBC like that...

I gave 2 finals today and that's it. It's all over but the grading.

Graduation is gonna SUCK. It's supposed to be 90! OMG that's horrible. It's uncomfortable sitting out in that gown when it's 60 out. How naked can I get?

People seemed to like the pasta at the potluck today. I'm happy with that.

I forgot to mention I have to have another MRI on my arm next week. I'm worried. I'm very worried. the arm feels wrong as in hey there's a bulge here, a divet there and something like rock here....

Comments

[marynachaotica.livejournal.com]

I don't know if making the place into apartments would be a good idea. After all the place is heavily haunted, and not all the entities are ...ummmm....pleasant.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Another turp egg!

That asylum sounds fascinating.

Your arm is scaring me.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I love playing hidden object games set in abandoned asylums. The spookier, the better. Your cats would abandon you forever if you moved into an apartment there though, you know that, right? LOL

Geez, good luck with the MRI.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

which game to you recommend?

Hmmm yes that's not a reason to NOT move into the asylum

thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

one that I bred.

next time you're here, we'll run out there.

my arm is scaring ME

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

been there, not really haunted by anything nasty

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

How naked can you get? Umm, how voluminous is your prof's robe, and would anybody know if you were nekkid underneath? 90 is definitely nasty hot for Ohio in May.

The asylum would make spiffy apartments. The grounds are nice, and what's not to love about living next to an art museum?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

the question is how see-thru is that thin black robe in the bright sun...

yes it's insanely hot AND humid. My cousin said it hit 100 in the raliegh NC area. yuck

it would be. lovely grounds.

[ital-gal.livejournal.com]

it is hot and humid here too, and i have are my winter clothes, but at least I don't have to wear a graduation gown. i feel your pain.

worried about the arm, waiting to hear about the MRI

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Hee!

That'd be cool.

I am not surprised, with it doing all the weird stuff.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

they've opened up some interesting stuff with the mounds in chillicothe too

yeah

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

ugh just ugh. I don't like heat.

thanks, so am I.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Ooooo. That's pretty cool, too.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I really liked Haunted Halls: Green Hills Sanitarium. It has a great sequel Haunted Halls: Fears from Childhood.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

cool. Someone gave me sleepy hollow which must be from the same creators of another one I have since both are so hard I get frustrated with them (taht and my screen here can't handle dark. I've tried lightening it but there's an issue)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes. the serpent mound (you pass it on your way here) isn't that far and I've not been there since i was in 2nd grade. I SHOULD go back.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Your family took you? I knew you went, but didn't know how.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yep. Dad always took us somewhere yearly.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Gee, Dad, thanks for taking us to nowhere, Ohio....

:D

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah seriously. I still have the turquoise (fake) studded snake ring I got that trip

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

That's, uh, something?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes it speaks to my hoarding nature

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Why do I think you and I might've been squirrels/packrats in former live as well as this one?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

could very well be