Background:
Bryce Hospital is Alabama’s oldest and largest inpatient psychiatric facility. The plans to open a hospital of this nature began in 1852. And in 1861, the doors opened in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This was to serve as the state’s hospital for the insane and was named as such. It was later renamed after the facility’s first superintendent, Peter Bryce.
Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride assisted with the building layout of the facility. His plan was to create staggered wings that would allow light into the patient wards. There were six wings in total. The center area would be for administration and staff, storage, recreation, and living quarters for the superintendent. A library was added to the rotunda, which was a circular room near the back of the building. The facility was quite massive.
In 1967, the Governor of Alabama witnessed the poor conditions of the hospital when she met a nine-year-old patient. The small child was noticeably unhealthy and all but ran to the Governor, calling her “mama.” She was brought to tears and convinced her husband to provide funds to the institution. It clearly wasn’t enough because in 1970, Alabama was ranked last in the US in funding for mental health. Not only were the funds lacking, but the hospital staff was overwhelmed and overworked. At this time, Bryce had 5,200 patients, and it was stated that the conditions were like that of concentration camps.
The downward spiral didn’t end there. When Alabama cut its cigarette tax, about 100 members of the staff were laid off. After this devastating event, it’s estimated that one nurse was to attend 250 patients, a physician managed 350, and a psychiatrist had 1,700.
More Recent Years:
Patients remained at Bryce Hospital until 2014, when they were moved to a new facility. Those last 20+ years, the facility served as more than a hospital. The recreation hall was used for church services, presentations, and the like.
In 2010, the property was purchased by the University of Alabama, which was adjacent to it. The committee involved had high hopes of the restoration project. The facility was planned to house a university welcome center, a museum of mental health, a museum of the university’s history, an event space, classrooms, and a performing arts center.
The most recent report of the property is from mid-2021. It reads that the east wing of Bryce Hospital would be demolished due to its structural integrity or the lack thereof. The article continued, stating that the restoration project wouldn’t be complete until 2023 or 2024.
Interesting Facts:
Between 1872 and the early 1880s, the hospital patients wrote their own newspaper called The Meteor.
It wasn’t until 1882 that harsh restraints, like shackles and straitjackets, were stopped.
The main facility of Bryce Hospital was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Old Bryce Hospital:
There’s one side of Bryce Hospital that some aren’t aware of. During the early days of the facility, African Americans were forced to remain segregated. Their small, shared space was in the loft of the barn on the property. In 1939, a new facility was constructed seven miles away. This became known as the Alabama State Farm Colony for Negroes. As the name suggests, this building housed only African American patients. This connection to Bryce Hospital is why this abandoned building is known today as Old Bryce Hospital, even thought at that time, it was referred to as the Jemison Center.
A quick background… In the 1830s, the Jemison family settled near Tuscaloosa and became one of the wealthiest families in the state. They owned bridges, mills, stables, six plantations, and so on. The Jemison empire covered over 10,000 acres. In addition to the legacy they were already leaving, the family supported the hospital and its purpose. The patriarch of the family passed away in 1871, and his largest plantation was passed on to the State of Alabama Board of Mental Health. This brings us to the construction of the new facility for African Americans.
The conditions of this building became even worse than the original. One small shower, the size of a closet, was used by 131 male patients. The women’s side consisted of 75 patients. Most, though, were tranquilized and rarely bathed. In 1977, when desegregation laws were put in place, the hospital closed.
To this day, people will visit Old Bryce Hospital in hopes of capturing a glimpse of the paranormal. Many have reported hearing inexplainable screams and footsteps, seeing shadows, and feeling cold spots. Some visitors have even left with scratches across their bodies. The building speaks of so much tragedy. The stories those walls could share…
Sources:
- al.com
- wikipedia.com
- thehauntedplaces.com
- abandonedsoutheast.com
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