The Fairfield County Infirmary, Ohio
The Fairfield County Infirmary, known as a poor farm, was a place for the less fortunate. It was intended to shelter those without a home and was also a place were people were admitted for physical or mental health issues. It held those with disabilities, who were sick, too old to care for themselves or even children who were orphaned.
The first wooden structure to provide this care was erected in Lancaster, Ohio in 1828, but was eventually replaced with a brick building in 1840. Many passed through the infirmary, some spent their entire lives here and plenty passed away within the building. Mix the death, trauma and mistreatment of being housed in this building, and you have a recipe for hauntings.
Ghosts of the Fairfield County Infirmary
Many spirits are claimed to haunt the Fairfield County Infirmary, with paranormal activity frequently being reported within the aging building. Many believe that former superintendent Hummel still lingers in the building. He wasn’t the nicest of people to run the facility and was rumored to have physically abused residents who worked on the facility’s self sustaining farm. It it thought that he may continue to enforce rules to other spirits in the property, still over-seeing them and silencing their attempts to communicate with visitors.
Another spirit said to remain at the infirmary is that of Jane Householder. Jane died within the building when she was 73 years old after a terrible accident saw her dress catch fire, after flames from a gas stove took hold of it. This poor woman would spend 9 hours suffering in pain from her injuries before eventually passing away. It is this traumatic experience that is thought to have kept her around.
Other spirits rumored to hang around the infirmary are that of a young girl, who some have named Susie, and a 9-foot-tall shadow figure who remains in the attic, also called the dungeon, as misbehaving residents were often chained to the walls up there.
There are plenty of areas where activity has also been reported, but isn’t necessarily linked to a specific spirit. The jail-like cell where residents were often locked up for not following rules can be active, as well as the attic/dungeon, the bathrooms, hallways, some rooms and even the lower levels that contain the former morgue. There isn’t a place within the building that is described as not being active. Many to visit have seen shadows, heard voices and it is also very common to hear footsteps approach when no one is around.
Visiting the Haunted Fairfield County Infirmary
Today, the Fairfield County Infirmary remains closed, yet those brave enough to visit for a paranormal investigation have the opportunity to do so. These can be booked by visiting the Infirmary’s Facebook page.
If you are interested in learning about other haunted places in this part of the country, I highly recommend checking out the Ohio State Reformatory.
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
