Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA) was a psychiatric hospital located in Weston, West Virginia, and it has previously been known by other names, such as West Virginia Hospital for the Insane and Weston State Hospital. The asylum was open to patients from 1864 until 1994. After its closure, patients were moved to the new William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital in Weston, named after William R. Sharpe Jr., a member of the West Virginia Senate. The hospital reopened as a tourist attraction in March 2008. Utilizing the Kirkbride Plan, the hospital was designed by architect Richard Snowden Andrews of Baltimore, Maryland. Construction of the hospital started in 1858 but was not completed until 1881. In fact, the main building of the hospital is said to be one of the largest hand-cut stonemasonry buildings in the United States and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. Although the building was originally designed to accommodate 250 patients, it became overcrowded in the 1950s with 2,400 patients and eventually closed after years of decline. After being abandoned for several years, the asylum was sold at auction in 2007 and has been open for tours and other events to raise money for its restoration since 2008.

Hospital data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).