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The Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former sanatorium located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.

In the early 1900s, Jefferson County was ravaged by an outbreak of tuberculosis – known as the "White Plague" – which prompted the construction of a new hospital. The Sanatorium opened in 1910 as a two-story facility able to accommodate between 40 and 50 tuberculosis patients. The hospital closed in 1961, due to the success of antibiotic drug streptomycin in lowering the needs for such a facility. At some point, plans were made to turn the abandoned hospital into a hotel, but this is no longer the case.

The land that is known today as "Waverly Hill" was purchased by Major Thomas H. Major Hays liked the peaceful-sounding name, so he named his property Waverley Hill. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospital kept the name when they bought the land and opened the sanatorium. It is not known exactly when the spelling changed to exclude the second "e" and became Waverly Hills.

In the early 1900s, Jefferson County was severely stricken with an outbreak of tuberculosis. To try to contain the disease, a two-story wooden sanatorium was opened which consisted of an administrative/main building and two open air pavilions, each housing 20 patients, for the treatment of "early cases". On August 31, 1912, all tuberculosis patients from the City Hospital were relocated to temporary quarters in tents on the grounds of Waverly Hills pending the completion of a hospital for advanced cases. In December 1912, a hospital for advanced cases opened for the treatment of another 40 patients. Building of a durable facility and later closing of the sanatorium Due to constant need for repairs on the wooden structures, need for a more durable structure, as well as need for more beds so that people would not be turned away due to lack of space, construction of a five-story building that could hold more than 400 patients began in March 1924. The new building opened on October 17, 1926, but after the introduction of streptomycin in 1943, the number of tuberculosis cases gradually lowered until there was no longer need for such a large hospital. The remaining patients were sent to Hazelwood Sanatorium in Louisville.

In March 1996, Robert Alberhasky bought Waverly Hills and the surrounding area. The first phase of the development, coming in at a cost of $4 million, would have been a statue of 150 feet (46 m) tall and 150 feet (46 m) wide, situated on the roof of the sanatorium.

After Alberhasky's efforts failed, Waverly Hills was sold to Tina and Charlie Mattingly in 2001. The Mattinglys hold tours of Waverly Hills and host a haunted house attraction each Halloween, with proceeds going toward restoration of the property. They are also currently restoring all the windows in the decrepit building while restoring the interior of the old sanatorium.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium hosted the last show of the touring music festival Sounds of the Underground on August 11, 2007. Similar festivals or concerts will likely not happen again at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, due to complaints made by local residents.

The sanatorium featured a tunnel built to carry steam and supplies between the heating plant located at the bottom of the hill and the main sanatorium building.

Waverly Hills has been popularized on the television show Ghost Hunters as being one of the "most haunted" hospitals in the eastern United States. The video game Project Zomboid, set in Kentucky, features a fictionalized version of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, called the "Sunderland Hills Sanatorium". The 2006 American horror film Death Tunnel was filmed at Waverly Hills. The film was also dedicated, "to all the Lost Souls of Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

Inside The Haunted Halls Of Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Travel Channel

Quick Facts

• The video game Project Zomboid, set in Kentucky, features a fictionalized version of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, called the "Sunderland Hills Sanatorium".
• The film was also dedicated, "to all the Lost Souls of Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
• The Sanatorium opened in 1910 as a two-story facility able to accommodate between 40 and 50 tuberculosis patients.
• Inside The Haunted Halls Of Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Travel Channel
• On August 31, 1912, all tuberculosis patients from the City Hospital were relocated to temporary quarters in tents on the grounds of Waverly Hills pending the completion of a hospital for advanced cases.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Waverly Hills Sanatorium". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.