Saturday, November 8, 2008

Macabre Marcy State Hospital


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Leech Farm Complex from Allegheny County

Marcy was originally opened as the Pittsburgh City Tuberculosis Sanatorium (known as the "Haven of Rest") in 1915, eventually becoming the C. Howard Marcy State Hospital in 1957 when the state took it over. It became a mental institution in 1974 before closing in 1984.

The facility was also know as the Leech Farm hospital, after the site it was built on.

Over 2,000 patients died while it was a TB hospital, with reports of patient abuse, outdated medical practices, and suicides. Not too surprisingly, there are quite a few bad vibes and stories allegedly associated with the place.

The shadowy ghosts of former patients have been reported roaming the property, with some that vanish or walk through walls. Other sightings include a man standing at the third floor window of the hospital, looking out; shadows seen going from window to window, as if they're walking through the building's interior walls; and another figure seen in the bathroom, with the black edema of tuberculosis visible on his body.

In another hospital wing, crying, screaming voices and laughter can be heard, mists can be seen floating in the shower area, and some poltergeist type activity occurs, according to reports.

There's also the tale of a small child in a hospital gown, bouncing a red rubber ball, dating back from the days when the hospital still operated. She asked for her mother, and if you didn't answer, she bounced her ball off your door for the next several evenings. Her sighting is one of the most common in the complex.

One of our readers tells us that "I worked at Marcy. My work place was a lab room next to the former morgue in the basement. Never experienced anything odd during the day, but staffers usually heard movement or banging at night in the morgue room. Creepy and most likely haunted." And what self respecting morgue isn't?

The Farm House, which was home for the hospital's head administrators, features flashes of light emanating from within, with sightings of a former administrator seen on the front porch and through the windows (which have since been boarded up. Whether that's because of spooks or asbestos depends on who you ask).

The legend says that he killed his family before taking his own life because the warden suspected that he and his family had contracted the dreaded and at the time incurable disease of tuberculosis themselves, although the official line is that the family did die of consumption, but not by the administrator's hand. Nothing like an ironic spook story.

Leech Farm Job Corp students have written in, and their views on the complex lay somewhere between "creepy" and "definitely haunted."

If you're ever up for a visit, Marcy's deserted buildings are located on Leech Farm Road/Highland Drive in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood, off of Washington Boulevard. Its ramshackle bones are nestled among the newer institutional buildings that now fill Leech Farm.

Maybe you'll get to met the spirits that couldn't rest peacefully in life and can't find the light in death.

44 comments:

statehospitalnurse said...

I worked at C Howard Marcy State Hospital, on the third floor at night behind locked doors with no one in them the water would come on full force and splash everywhere it was usually around 3 am. In the OR which was still there with the table and large light items would be moved around and no one had the key but you this is were they held podiatry clinic which I assisted with. On the second floor there was a large room that was locked you could hear breathing sounds. I could go on and on about this place. I also worked at Woodville and Western Center

lg said...

this marcy state hospital is that where the current job corps building is now??

Ron Ieraci said...

Ig - I believe the buildings have been deserted since the early eighties. I haven't been there myself, so I'm not sure what Leech Farm facilities they're near. Anybody been there? Give us the 411.

Anonymous said...

I went to Pittsburgh job corps in the early '90s, which was the old Leech Farm State Mental Hospital,,, the place is HAUNTED. your welcome to contact me at delaney60@hotmail.com and I can tell you some personal experiences I had there.

Anonymous said...

I went to the Pittsburgh Job Corps Center in 2003, and although the place had a really eerie vibe, I never had any experiences that made me believe it was haunted. The center director told us that the windows were boarded up because of asbestos, and that the man did not kill himself or his family, that they all died of consumption. Not sure if that is true, because of course she wouldn't admit it if he had commited suicide and killed his family. What is creepy is that the building where they cremated the deceased is still there, and also boarded up. The basement of the main buildin where the student dorms are, is OBVIOUSLY where the morgue was, and the hallway where they wheeled the bodies to the crematory gave me goosebumps every time I had to walk down it. The gurneys are still in there, not sure if they are the original ones, but everything about that building is just creepy knowing it's history. You can hear a low humming sound throughout he campus at all times, not sure if it's old powerlines, or a generator. You can see the padded rooms on the top floor from the cafeteria windows and it's very surreal.

Anonymous said...

I attended Pittsburgh Job Corps in the late 90's and can attest that the place is definitely haunted. After spending 2 years on site in the dorms, several friends and I had many unpleasant encounters and experiences. Initially I was a skeptic, but I became a believer after spending only a few nights.

Anonymous said...

i go to pittsburgh job corps and i was reading on here and a story that a little girl with a red ball in a hospital gown who asks for her mother and if you don't reply wil bounce her ball off your door several nights was left off this site, that is in the alpha/omega wing where i currently reside. i have been there for months and havent heard anything.....

Anonymous said...

I was a patient at C. Howard Marcy State Hospital for 6 1/2 months from December, 1964, until June, 1965. I was 16 at the time and one of the youngest patients there. It was a dark and depressing place. I remember crying my first night there thinking about spending the next 6 months there and having to make up a year of high school. No one ever talked about it being haunted, but it was kind of creepy. I met lots of interesting people from many walks of life. Good thing there are now good drugs to treat TB and people don't have to stay in places like that!

Toni

Netta said...

I was a student at Pittsburgh Job Corps in 2000. The little girl was on the Alpha/Omega wing and would sometimes cross to the Chislom hallway bouncing a red ball and asking for her mom. If you didn't answer she would get upset. The wing above the lunchrooms was eerie.

Anonymous said...

I attended Pittsburgh job corps center on highland drive from 2005-2007. When I first got there of course I thought the stories were fake until staff that worked there swore by the hauntings because they witnessed them themselves , and I myself have definitely had encounters! The little girl is definety real! On the third floor (PFL)on the girls side, the most haunted hall was definitely Chisholm! My room was on the right side all the way at the end of the creepy long hall. When I was moving my things from Anthony to Chisholm, I returned back to my new room to find the smoke alarm going off and the walls in the room looked as if they were crying. I flew to the RA's office and when they got to the room they were at a lost for words. Not to mention whenever my roommate wasn't there, which was every weekend , I would feel someone climb up the ladder and lay on the top bunk! From time to time the little girl would bounce the ball off the walls in this hallway but if u told her to stop,she'd stop! I remember a girl that woke up with a little red handprint on her arm after two nights of her being on our floor. She self terminated after that. And there has actually been reports of a very creepy dark figured man on Tubman which is the second floor on the girls side. I resided on Tubman for awhile and I've never seen him before. But I have felt eyes on me in the shower room on Tubman! And I was always scared to be in the shower room by myself. My trade was culinary and that's definitely where the morgue used to be. My detail used to be to take the trash out which was down by culinary and several times my RA would send me down on the elevator. I would pull the emergency stop button out to hold the elevator there and by the time I walked down the ball and back the elevator was gone. And my RA would be standing there with a puzzled look on her face each time I walked back upstairs because I wasn't on the elevator! Me and a group of friends were sitting outside of facilities maintenance which is right next to the recreation center and we saw a white boy with a red shirt and black boy shorts run across the roof of the rec. Then there was one time when me and a friend from Culinary walked up the hill past the cemetery to go smoke. On our way back, we were across from the cemetery and a group of kids appeared at the top of the cemetery out of nowhere! We were walking and talking and they both appeared! Now I don't know any weed on this earth that can make two ppl see the same thing. These kids were now running down the hill towards us about to run across the street asking if we wanted to pet their snake . We were scared. When we turned around they were gone and we ran back to campus. This place def has spooks!

Anonymous said...

The only thing that creeped me out about this place when I went there from 2006-2007 was the fact that they gave me at least 10 vaccines of god knows what.

Unknown said...

does anyone know if this place is available to tour? I have a paranormal group and we would love to check this out.

Unknown said...

The job corps is legit haunted. The old hospital administrator had a wife and daughter. The little girl with the red ball is his daughter. His wife is in the cafeteria. It was apparently raining when she died. She can't see her daughter and her daughter can't see her. The father, as far as I know, can't leave his room and can be seen in the window. Never saw him on the steps. However, there is a spirit of a man sitting on the steps. I think he used to be homeless. There's a spirit of a doctor who makes his rounds in the dorm for the new people on the boy's side. I think it's the phoenix wing. He looks in rooms, writes something down and keeps on going. He seems really friendly, and I got super sleepy just seeing him. I also was able to go in the destroyed wing closed off upstairs where they put extra luggage for students who don't have any bags. There was a really horrible vibe up there, and I did not like it at all. Some people say they broke into the underground padded room area and took a video and the video later had horrible things in it, but I dunno about that one.

Overall, it is 100% haunted. Also, if you're not in Job COrps, you can't enter. They won't let you. I attended June 2012 to March 2013.

Anonymous said...

I was a student enrolled at this Job Corps in 97 and this place is definitely haunted! The padded rooms above the cafeteria where still there and I actually sneaked up there one afternoon and walked down the very narrow corridor and the rooms were still padded. I could feel people watching me. I got a very vibe up there. Also the incinerator were they burned the TB patients was still there. Bldg 10 I think it was minus the smoke tower. The burners were still in there and this place too also gave me a bad vibe. You could hear screams coming from the building sometimes. Also in the bldg where they had the acedemic classes their was a classroom that had a small platform with 2 stairs in the middle of front of the class where the instructors desk was. I thought that was odd for I felt this was the place they would lay the TB ridden bodies for examination. And it was still there!!!! One night I and another student was in the male dorm talking about the bible and all of a sudden a perfectly good working light went out. That was the first and last time that ever happened. Whatever was in the room with us didnt like the conversation! This place is definitely creepy and definitely there is something there. No doubt about that!

Anonymous said...

I came here in march and have been here for a few months and at first I didnt believe the rumors but after the first few nights I did. On tubman there is this guy that sits next to the residential advisors office. He just sits there and watches.I was on my way to the bathroom one night it was like 3 am at first I thought I was seeing things so I kept waking to the bathroom when I came back he was still there I walk into my room and my roommate was about to go to the bathroom I asked her if she saw anything when she came back she said no so I walked out and went to talk to our ra and it was only her in there. And the little girl goes between a/o and pfl. We've heard her upstairs. And then in the morning sometimes we wake up with bruises and scratch marks.I've woken up with the weirdest bruises. And I didn't have them before I went to bed. On top of the cafeteria there is a whole wing that were not allowed on and at night if you look up to the Windows or look from the girls dorm you can see someone standing there just starting outside.

Anonymous said...

I was there 95-97, I didnt see the little girl with the red ball. i didnt encounter the mist in the shower. I heard no voices. But, the doors of the alpha omega would blow open as if a wind pushed it open sometimes. not wide open, but the doors were heavy built and made a kinda thump noise when they closed after you walked through, so you would here the door thump closed or see it kinda slightly blow open then close. I did a lotta humpin in the surrounding woods and never saw anything or heard anything. The old film night of the liveing dead was filmed at the grave yard down the hill from the job corps b.t.w.. Im solo...anybody remember me? sessvideo@facebook.com

Tammy pahel- boyer said...

I was a member from 1987-1988 it is definitely haunted

Unknown said...

Wtf this shit is Crazy

Charon G said...

BECOME A NON-RESIDENT AT PITTSBURGH JOB CORPS OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!!!

You Will See Some Shit! Deftly Haunted People!

Anonymous said...

i currently attend job corps and me and my roommate just found out about the haunting stories lastnight we stay on tubman and the elevator thing you mentioned happens all the time people will ring the buzzer and the RA will not even hear it ... I haven't heard anything until lastnight when all of us including the RA were joking around about these stories we heard like a banging sound and the RA said it was probably one of the girls in the room ill keep everybody updated to see if these stories are true

Unknown said...

I'm in there today

Anonymous said...

I am a ghost hunter in Pittsburgh, and would definitely come up to the deserted buildings and then speak to Job Corps about getting access to the other buildings and possibly investigating them with my team just to see if there are any ways to get the little girl to move on or any one else a voice to talk, it could be cool to talk to them.

Unknown said...

I go here now and I've have been here for 4weeks my dorm is on pfl and it was late at night I had went to the bathroom to wash my hands and my face and I felt something watching me just felt like who ever was watching me I was staring me down really hard so I left outta there quickly ND went to my dorm. But also I encountered hearing voices in my dorm like the person was laying right next to me and it was a males voice he told me to get out or something related to that

Unknown said...

We moved into the hospital summer of 88
I was in the first group of people to move in from the old pjcc on Forbes Ave.I would Love to hear from people who was there 88.89

Unknown said...

Let me just add my name Mark Lucas.

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El Peche H.P. said...

I was there 95-97 and I will definitely say that it is haunted. I self-terminated bc of an presence I felt there

Unknown said...

I was also maybe we know each other.My name is Mark Lucas.I would love to here from anyone that was there back then

Unknown said...

Yeah, I was a member there, too. Late 80s definitely harlot

Anonymous said...

Im chris conormon was at Pittsburgh job cob in1994 seen some shit and followed a ghost to a dead body that latter was recovered by Pittsburgh corner he was a veteran im on facebook look me up

Rhohm said...

I was in the Pittsburgh Job Corp July - Oct. 1994. Seen the dead body in the woods of the veteran. The body looked semi preserved, scary shit. The Job Corp sent 2 of my friends go home for like a week. I knew it was a hospital for Tuberculosis, didn't know it was a mental hospital

Unknown said...

I was there from 96 to 97 and was living in the honor dorm for the last 9 months of my stay. One day, during Christmas break (when pretty much all students were gone), I decided to take a photo of the hallway outside of my room so that I would always have a memory of what my view looked like while I was at PJCC. When i got the photo developed, I noticed the supply closet door (at the end of the long hallway) had CLEARLY had ghosts on it. There was a nurse (her uniform seemed to be from the 1920s or so), next to a woman in civilian clothing (again, dressed in period clothing), and in front of the ladies was a small male child (although his clothing looked more like the 40s). They were transparent, but you could definitely see the colors of clothing as well as definition). Naysayers kept saying there must have been (current, 1996) students still left in the building and the images were reflections of those students. However, the ghosts were clearly caucasian and the ONLY (few) students that hadn't left for Christmas break were dark skinned African American.

In addition to the photograph, I personally experienced MANY odd and creepy sightings (although oddly, those sightings... predominantly in the main building, weren't as well defined as that of the photo).

Is this place haunted? Absolutely.

Unknown said...

I was also in the honor building!

Unknown said...

Hi my name is Yolanda and I moved from Forbes ave too!

Unknown said...

I was there when we moved from forbes ave.That was in 88.And yes its creepy.But i never experienct any of this.

Anonymous said...

I am here in 2021 and i will be keeping update on if it is or isnt . only thing ive seen so far is flickering lights but i will be keeping updates

Unknown said...

I would love to hear from anyone 88 89
Mark Lucas
678 755 0554

Unknown said...

I worked there for the Job Corp in 1986

Unknown said...

I go to the Pittsburgh job corps right now it is fr hunted by ghosts

Anonymous said...

Went there in 2010 for 2 years people thought I was crazy but def heard demons in recordings and also seen a transparent little girl with red ball in honor area down hallway leading to showers at 3am. Heard a lot of stuff place is def evil and should be investigated. I still talk about how haunted it is till this day glad I never have to go back there ever again. 2 years of haunted torment with hardly no sleep you always felt like you were watched at night or in showers!

Jordan said...

Was here in 2010 and did hvac not that facility maintenance bullcrap. All you would hear all day is (fac or die) lol. But def evil and haunted seen the girl in alpha omega honor dorm down the hall at 3am. And actually had to have maintenance come up to change a flickering lightbulb and they were baffled when the came up to change it and couldn’t understand how light was flickering when the tube light in the ceiling wasn’t even connected on both side was just laying on the glass inside of light fixture smh. Hated that place for two years. Don’t do recordings you will have evil stuff trying to connect with you! People will think you’re crazy but there is evil entities in this building. The vibe is different.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever seen the wing above the cafeteria

Anonymous said...

My Name is Mark Lucas I was there when we moved PJCC from Forbes Ave. To Leach Farm The joint is Haunted. 11/11/ 87 - 1988.

Anonymous said...

Are you allowed to investigate the buildings boarded up? This is very interesting.