Retirement and Abandoned Years

In 1994, the Weston State Hospital was closed. For years, the number of patients in the hospital had been declining. By 1993, by a court order, only 150 patients remained. More awareness in mental health was a factor in decreasing numbers, as people kept the mentally ill within their families, instead of shutting them away in a hospital.

In 1994, a new hospital, the William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital, was completed on a hill behind the Grand Old Dame. When the Weston State Hospital released 141 patients to the new hospital, it officially closed. It was vacant for a while, but then the Weston Hospital Revitalization Committee created a souvenir shop and three museums (a Mountaineer Military Museum, a West Virginia Toy Museum, and a Mental Health Museum) within the building. For a little while, tours were also held for tourists who wanted to see the inside of the building. However, in 2004, the assistant fire marshal shut down the hospital completely because of too many extension cords and a lack of lighting and exits.

For three years, the hospital was once again, abandoned, but not forgotten. The hospital survived in the minds and hearts of the people of Weston. However, with millions of dollars needed to repair it, there was little the small community could do. In August 2007, the building was put up for auction and sold.