Indiana State Sanatorium
Location: Rockville, Indiana
Located about 6 miles outside the small town of Rockville, Indiana the Sanatorium sits on 504 acres of property surrounded by forests, creeks and farmland. There are no signs letting you know you've arrived, just a bumpy private road that leads past an old guardhouse that's seen better days.
Story has it the place is haunted and paranormal investigators from all over the country come to stay the night and roam the grounds. While I didn't see any ghosts, I did get to explore for quite a long time and take a lot of photos. I hope you enjoy!
History of the Location
In 1905 the state of Indiana appointed a committee to investigate the need of a state-run institution. By 1907 the state legislature appropriated $250,000 for the purchase of a site. A second committee was then created to determine where the site will should be located. The final decision was to purchase 504 acres of land east of Rockville.
In 1909, the committee requested funds to build a hospital, which was soon followed by an administration building, power house, and two pavilions flanking the administration building, one for men, the other for women. The main wards featured porches that stretched the entire length of the building for maximum exposure to fresh air (a common practice against Tuberculosis). By 1911, the facility was self-sufficient with a farm and workers. By 1918, a school was added to the facility. A superintendent's residence was added in 1922, which was followed by two small bungalow style houses for physicians.
The grounds underwent many changes throughout it's existence. The first major additions came in the 1950s with the addition of a chapel in 1950 and a new 5-story staff residence hall known as "Adams Hall." This building was eventually converted into a psychiatric hospital facility. By the end of the 1950s, the number of patients fell considerably due to the discovery of a treatment to cure the disease. As a result, the facility could not admit enough patients to remain open and was shuttered by the state in 1968.
The State Sanatorium Bridge
The State Sanatorium covered bridge was erected on the site in 1913 to transport coal across Little Raccoon Creek. The Sanatorium used coal, mined only a couple of miles away near Nyesville for both heat and for its powerplant.
On July 30, 2008 a $1.34 million project to move the bridge to the former site of the Adams Covered Bridge was started and on December 29, 2008 the bridge was opened to traffic.
Book Your Own Tour
On December 31, 2020 the Sanatorium was sold to a private owner who allows tours and has accommodations for overnight stays. More info can be found here:
More Photos
Click to View the Full Size Image
Gear Used for the Shoot
Camera: Sony A7SII
Drone: Mavic 2 Pro
Lens: Sony FE Zoom 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
Tripod: Manfrotto 190XPROB, Manfrotto 496RC2 Ballhead
Camera Bag: ProTactic BP 350 AW II
Thanks for Reading!
