
The DeJarnette Sanitarium
Posted: 12.04.2024 | Updated: 12.04.2024
Virginia holds an appeal for those seeking history and jaw-dropping scenery along with modern-day excitement. The state also holds a dark past filled with tragedy and suffering, making it a red web of haunted locations. However, there is one that leaves a dark stain on Virginia’s history. It stands desolate just off of US-250 amidst the hillside of Staunton, only observable from a distance – the DeJarnette Sanitarium.
The sanitarium was a hospital for the mentally ill, but its walls hid a darker secret. It served as a safe haven for its founder to carry out countless barbaric procedures for the sake of his twisted medical beliefs. The former hospital now eerily stands as a haunting reminder of the evils it held within, leaving many to wonder if they ever left.
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Is the DeJarnette Sanitarium haunted?

The sight of the DeJarnette Sanitarium just off US-250 is enough to send an unusually cold shiver up anyone’s spine. It stands perched in its decrepit, isolated state, reflecting the depravity of its nefarious reputation. Evil ran rampant within its walls under the watchful eye of a truly insane doctor for decades. It has left such a dark cloud over Staunton that many believe something still lingers within its halls, calling out in the silence of the night.
History of the DeJarnette Sanitarium
The DeJarnette Sanitarium was founded in 1932 by Dr. Joseph DeJarnette as a semi-private, self-supporting mental hospital for middle-income adult patients. It was also a special pay unit of the nearby Western State Hospital, where DeJarnette served as director.
The Georgian-revival-styled building exuded a sense of healing from its outside appearance, a far cry from what happened inside. Hundreds of forced sterilizations were carried out on anyone deemed unfit to procreate, primarily poor African and Native American people.
It was part of DeJarnette’s twisted belief in racial segregation and eugenics, where he was a vocal proponent. Not alone in his warped logic, he once went on record saying, “Germany is beating us at our own game.”
In the aftermath of the atrocities of the Holocaust, eugenics became the butt of jokes in the science community and was eventually denounced as an inhumane pseudoscience; DeJarnette’s reputation as one of the most well-respected doctors in Virginia was inevitably destroyed.
DeJarnette Sanitarium was later repurposed as a children’s hospital in 1975. It was then relocated to a new facility near Western State Hospital in the 90s when the sanitarium shut its doors forever. DeJarnette’s name was officially removed from the children’s hospital altogether in 2001.
Today, his shuddered sanitarium stands perched as an eerie ruin overlooking the hillside of Staunton, Virginia. Its closed doors are a reminder to some of how far we’ve come as a society. Others believe they simply act as a barrier, separating our world from a dark legacy that’s left a haunting presence festering in 64 years of evil.
Hauntings Overview

There’s creepy, and then there’s a supernatural kind of creepy that starts as a seed of evil watered by suffering and sadness as its roots run deep into the soil. Its presence becomes so overwhelming that it sends chills with just one glance. The presence of DeJarnette Sanitarium has continued to have this effect on the residents of Staunton since its conception over 80 years ago.
Forced sterilizations and lobotomies were carried out on unwilling patients deemed unfit to breed: African and Native Americans, mentally handicapped, alcoholics, and even those considered promiscuous. Perhaps there was still hope when the sanitarium was converted into a children’s hospital in 1975, but it was too late by then.
To this day, former child patients of the hospital remember an unsettling feeling from the very moment they were admitted. Some have felt a strange calling to return years later as if the building was beckoning them. A former patient documented his eerie experience in 2004, stating how his current reality became distorted, blending the past and present. Was it all in his head, or was the building trying to tell him something?
Urban explorers and ghost enthusiasts who have also visited the building over the years have felt dread and paranoia as if the building was watching them. It’s heavily advised to not visit the property with the number of safety hazards in the building’s dilapidated interior. A trespass warning also hangs right outside the gate blocking the dirt pathway leading up to the sanitarium’s steep stairwell entrance.
Perhaps it’s for the best. Besides, you don’t need to be close to hear the blood-curdling screams emanating from the windows of the decrepit building at night.
The Demon Doctor of DeJarnette Sanitarium
If evil can bind its victims within its walls, it only makes sense that its source would still be there as well, especially when the building is named after him. It’s believed that the spirit of Dr. Joseph DeJarnette still walks the rotted halls of his beloved sanitarium, encompassed by the disembodied screams of his victims to this day.
Those who have been brave or foolish enough to venture into the sanitarium late at night may have a different theory, and it’s a lot more horrifying. The most detailed experience comes from a YouTube commentator who waited in the building until 3 a.m. when the real fear set in according to him.
He and his friends made their way to the top floor when a suffocating rotten egg smell started emanating from a long, dark hallway. Two glowing red eyes soon illuminated the darkness, followed by a bellowing growl and then heavy footsteps picking up in pace. He and his friends bolted and never looked back, but they were convinced that what they saw that night wasn’t the doctor, but a demon.
Haunted Richmond
Richmond, Virginia holds a special place in the hearts and minds of all who come to experience its sprawling landscape, historic landmarks, and rich history. It’s this same history steeped in blood and tragedy that makes it a perfect location for chilling ghost stories and puts it at the top of the list for fans of the strange and macabre.
Extending beyond Richmond’s limits lies the city of Staunton with its own chilling tales. The most disturbing of which comes from the abandoned DeJarnette Sanitarium. An institution that was meant to heal, but was instead used as a sanctuary where evil could flourish and its demon doctor lies in wait for his next appointment.
Ready to walk with the ghosts of Richmond? Be sure to visit our website and book a tour with Richmond Ghosts today, while spots are still open! Until then, read up on our blog for more teeth-chattering stories, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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