Unidentified Remains Skeletal Remains Mystery
On August 30, 1984, Taunton Police received a report of the discovery of some skeletal remains at a construction site in Taunton. Police responded to the Myles Standish Industrial Park and observed human bones that had been discovered as dirt was being moved by heavy equipment on the site. The contractor indicated that dirt had been trucked to the construction site but the origin of the dirt could not be determined. At that time, the recovered bones were sent to the FBI for further examination. The bones were ultimately determined to be from the lower right leg of an adult who would have been over 30 years of age. The recovered bones included the tibia, fibula and foot bones that were still contained in a wool sock. The FBI also determined that the bones were estimated to have been exposed to the elements for at least 10 to 15 years prior to the discovery.
On August 30, 1984, Taunton Police received a report of the discovery of some skeletal remains at a construction site in Taunton. Police responded to the Myles Standish Industrial Park and observed human bones that had been discovered as dirt was being moved by heavy equipment on the site. The contractor indicated that dirt had been trucked to the construction site but the origin of the dirt could not be determined. At that time, the recovered bones were sent to the FBI for further examination. The bones were ultimately determined to be from the lower right leg of an adult who would have been over 30 years of age. The recovered bones included the tibia, fibula and foot bones that were still contained in a wool sock. The FBI also determined that the bones were estimated to have been exposed to the elements for at least 10 to 15 years prior to the discovery.
Paranormal Taunton State Hospital Mystery
The buildings that were allegedly haunted have been demolished. The stories were rooted from the cruel methods by the staff, from deaths of natural or unnatural causes, and by the patients themselves some of which were criminals, murderers and rapists.
As with any building where people were tortured, suffered and ultimately died over the course of decades stories of ghostly hauntings are bound to be heard.
So What Were These Ghostly Haunted Stories ?
Anytime the subject of "Taunton State Hospital" comes up many recall stories of screams, apparitions, unexplained noises, the practice of Satanic rituals, bloodstained handprints, and cries for help. Some stories even involve an on-campus cemetery, just one problem - There is no cemetery on the grounds. All the patients who died were buried in the pauper section (section 34) of Mayflower Hill Cemetery.
Some believe tragedy breeds negative energy that can remain in place. No one can remember when the stories began, but they have now taken on a life of their own. It is not just an old haunted asylum, it is a place people still remember seeing things they could not explain.
The grounds, once cherished and enjoyed, are the subject of many of the stories. Long before it closed, people claimed to see things they could not explain. Reports come in of an elderly man crouching and stroking the grass. He wears simple clothes, usually said to be jeans and a dark shirt, making him seem more like a former employee than a patient. When approached, we smiles and disappears. Others have seen people in light pants and white shirts.
The Story Begins in 1851
The Taunton State Hospital was established in 1851 as the Taunton Lunatic Asylum constructed on 154-acres on Hodges Avenue. The complex was the second facility for the insane and opened it doors on April 7 1854 to help alleviate the overcrowding at Worcester State Hospital. Taunton State Hospital was the first in the state to be designed based on the congregate model developed by Dr. Thomas Kirkbride from the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital. The architect, Elbridge Boyden took Kirkbride's concepts and created a centralized main building with a unique dome that was flanked by "bat-wings" that could house 250 patients.
This Kirkbride concept utilized his theories on how to effectively and efficiently take care of the mentally ill and architecturally it meant the buildings would promote exposure to natural light and air circulation. Structurally the layout of “bat-wings” style to make the most use sunlight and allow the best air circulation.
The main portion of the hospital, known as the "Kirkbride Building" closed in 1975, soon after the other buildings fell into disrepair. In the early 1990s, a $19 million capital improvement plan was implemented by the state to improve the still-operating portions of the campus.
On March 19 2006 the main building suffered one of the largest fires in Taunton's history. More than 100 firefighters from eighteen (18) fire departments were requested to battle the fire. The main building, source of most of the haunted stories, was destroyed beyond repair, leaving the future of the entire hospital up in question. Early reports claim the fire was set, but who or what started the fire remains unknown.
In May 2009 due to structural concerns the remaining parts of the main hospital were demolished. Many of the newer buildings remain on the grounds. In early 2012 the state announced the closure of the remaining parts of the facility containing 169 beds. In 2012 a plan to keep a portion of the facility open was vetoed by Gov. Duval Patrick.
Today, Taunton State Hospital remains open and houses 48 psychiatric beds, a Women's Recovery from Addiction Program, a residential program under the Department of Youth Services, and a substance abuse program administered by High Point Treatment Center. There is also a greenhouse on the campus that is staffed by patients and sells a variety of plants and seasonal produce to the public.
Who Else Was Sent to Taunton State Hospital ?
When Taunton State Hospital was constructed the main focus was to house the mentally ill and cure them. Sadly society generally wanted the mentally ill, children with birth defects or even learning disabilities to disappear. Sending them to a lunatic asylum seemed a perfect place to hide them from public view.
Society was ashamed to have a mentally ill, disfigured or disabled person in their family. They felt it reflected on them and their status in their community. Placing them in an asylum was good for the family and the community, and no one cared what the patients thought or felt.
Doctors, friends, family, and society dehumanized these people and devalued them. Once they had little value or humanity and were simply objects it would be easy to mistreat and abuse them, often in the name “scientific progress”.
Like prisons and jails, once you were admitted you were locked up and not allowed to leave. All manner of abuse, cruelty and inhumanity were committed. Those placed in these mental facilities saw beatings, solitary confinement, dietary neglect, being bound to shackles, the use of cures like electrical shock therapy, and lobotomies.
Many war veterans who sustained brain injuries or suffered from what today is called PTSD, those with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, Tourette Syndrome, alcoholics, even epilepsy and those with eating disorders would be confined to these types of mental asylums. Even women who had panic attacks, bouts of post-Partum Blues, anxiety, Menstruation-related anger, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
The buildings that were allegedly haunted have been demolished. The stories were rooted from the cruel methods by the staff, from deaths of natural or unnatural causes, and by the patients themselves some of which were criminals, murderers and rapists.
As with any building where people were tortured, suffered and ultimately died over the course of decades stories of ghostly hauntings are bound to be heard.
So What Were These Ghostly Haunted Stories ?
Anytime the subject of "Taunton State Hospital" comes up many recall stories of screams, apparitions, unexplained noises, the practice of Satanic rituals, bloodstained handprints, and cries for help. Some stories even involve an on-campus cemetery, just one problem - There is no cemetery on the grounds. All the patients who died were buried in the pauper section (section 34) of Mayflower Hill Cemetery.
Some believe tragedy breeds negative energy that can remain in place. No one can remember when the stories began, but they have now taken on a life of their own. It is not just an old haunted asylum, it is a place people still remember seeing things they could not explain.
The grounds, once cherished and enjoyed, are the subject of many of the stories. Long before it closed, people claimed to see things they could not explain. Reports come in of an elderly man crouching and stroking the grass. He wears simple clothes, usually said to be jeans and a dark shirt, making him seem more like a former employee than a patient. When approached, we smiles and disappears. Others have seen people in light pants and white shirts.
The Story Begins in 1851
The Taunton State Hospital was established in 1851 as the Taunton Lunatic Asylum constructed on 154-acres on Hodges Avenue. The complex was the second facility for the insane and opened it doors on April 7 1854 to help alleviate the overcrowding at Worcester State Hospital. Taunton State Hospital was the first in the state to be designed based on the congregate model developed by Dr. Thomas Kirkbride from the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital. The architect, Elbridge Boyden took Kirkbride's concepts and created a centralized main building with a unique dome that was flanked by "bat-wings" that could house 250 patients.
This Kirkbride concept utilized his theories on how to effectively and efficiently take care of the mentally ill and architecturally it meant the buildings would promote exposure to natural light and air circulation. Structurally the layout of “bat-wings” style to make the most use sunlight and allow the best air circulation.
The main portion of the hospital, known as the "Kirkbride Building" closed in 1975, soon after the other buildings fell into disrepair. In the early 1990s, a $19 million capital improvement plan was implemented by the state to improve the still-operating portions of the campus.
On March 19 2006 the main building suffered one of the largest fires in Taunton's history. More than 100 firefighters from eighteen (18) fire departments were requested to battle the fire. The main building, source of most of the haunted stories, was destroyed beyond repair, leaving the future of the entire hospital up in question. Early reports claim the fire was set, but who or what started the fire remains unknown.
In May 2009 due to structural concerns the remaining parts of the main hospital were demolished. Many of the newer buildings remain on the grounds. In early 2012 the state announced the closure of the remaining parts of the facility containing 169 beds. In 2012 a plan to keep a portion of the facility open was vetoed by Gov. Duval Patrick.
Today, Taunton State Hospital remains open and houses 48 psychiatric beds, a Women's Recovery from Addiction Program, a residential program under the Department of Youth Services, and a substance abuse program administered by High Point Treatment Center. There is also a greenhouse on the campus that is staffed by patients and sells a variety of plants and seasonal produce to the public.
Who Else Was Sent to Taunton State Hospital ?
When Taunton State Hospital was constructed the main focus was to house the mentally ill and cure them. Sadly society generally wanted the mentally ill, children with birth defects or even learning disabilities to disappear. Sending them to a lunatic asylum seemed a perfect place to hide them from public view.
Society was ashamed to have a mentally ill, disfigured or disabled person in their family. They felt it reflected on them and their status in their community. Placing them in an asylum was good for the family and the community, and no one cared what the patients thought or felt.
Doctors, friends, family, and society dehumanized these people and devalued them. Once they had little value or humanity and were simply objects it would be easy to mistreat and abuse them, often in the name “scientific progress”.
Like prisons and jails, once you were admitted you were locked up and not allowed to leave. All manner of abuse, cruelty and inhumanity were committed. Those placed in these mental facilities saw beatings, solitary confinement, dietary neglect, being bound to shackles, the use of cures like electrical shock therapy, and lobotomies.
Many war veterans who sustained brain injuries or suffered from what today is called PTSD, those with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, Tourette Syndrome, alcoholics, even epilepsy and those with eating disorders would be confined to these types of mental asylums. Even women who had panic attacks, bouts of post-Partum Blues, anxiety, Menstruation-related anger, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Rocking Chair Gravestone Mystery
There are several legends surrounding the background of this grave located in Mayflower Cemetery. Some claimed she died from falling backwards in a chair, other claimed she died in a house fire. Both legends are false.
Pearl E. French 1878-1882
This child-size rocking chair grave marks the grave of Pearl E French, who died of meningitis. The monument has an inscription "Her vacant chair". The chair is in cement and doesn't move. The choice of an empty chair as Pearl’s grave marker can be explained by a popular poem about the heartbreak of childhood mortality published in a magazine in 1850 by Richard Coe, Jr. entitled "The Vacant Chair."
Vera Lucille Johnson 1880-1884
The scroll stone monument next to Pearl's grave is for her cousin who also died of a meningitis
There are several legends surrounding the background of this grave located in Mayflower Cemetery. Some claimed she died from falling backwards in a chair, other claimed she died in a house fire. Both legends are false.
Pearl E. French 1878-1882
This child-size rocking chair grave marks the grave of Pearl E French, who died of meningitis. The monument has an inscription "Her vacant chair". The chair is in cement and doesn't move. The choice of an empty chair as Pearl’s grave marker can be explained by a popular poem about the heartbreak of childhood mortality published in a magazine in 1850 by Richard Coe, Jr. entitled "The Vacant Chair."
Vera Lucille Johnson 1880-1884
The scroll stone monument next to Pearl's grave is for her cousin who also died of a meningitis