Today: Revitalization
Before the building was bought in 2007 by the current owner, the Weston Revitalization Committee (WHRC) was established in 2000 and the Weston Hospital Task Force (WHTF) was created by Governor Cecil Underwood two years later. These two groups collected money through flower sales, barbecues, festivals, and street theaters to raise money to repair parts of the hospital. They had a gift shop, and collected money from the tours. The WHRC collected $30,000 since 2002, and replaced sixty window panes, chipped away loose paint, replaced posts, fixed the clock tower, cleaned up the remains of a paint ball fight, rebuilt the fountain, and took out trees that were hurting the foundation.
For several years, no one knew what to do with the Weston State Hospital. One year, a couple of men wanted to turn the hospital into a resort. But when they were unable to raise the $88 million to create that dream, it fell through. The Weston Hospital Task Force spent $200,000 on a study to find out what it could be used for, but none of these ideas worked.
On August 27, 2007, the building was sold at an auction for $1.6 million dollars to Joe Jordan. Today, it is open for tours and serves as a tourist attraction. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the building is in good hands, and will hopefully be around for many more years and many more generations to come.
Click here to see newspaper articles about the auction.
Tours
Tours are offered from March 15th, 2008 - November 1st, 2008. For the courageous, there are also ghost hunts available on Saturday nights. Visit the links page for more information and to sign up.
Ghosts?
No one knows for sure whether there are ghosts that call the Weston State Hospital home. Some swear that the round gray circles that show up in some pictures taken there are called "orbs" and are evidence of some sort of spirit. Others dismiss all claims and say it's just an old building with its share of stories. Most agree if there are such things as ghosts, spirits, or orbs, the Weston State Hospital would be one of the first places to have them. However, no matter what they believe, almost everyone in the community of Weston says they wouldn't stay there overnight, even if they were paid. Are there ghosts? Well . . . are you brave enough to find out?