Dark History: Princeton, Indiana’s Old Hospital And Sinister Experiments Exposed
Growing up in Princeton, Indiana, I've heard many stories about the old hospital on State Street. The building was built in 1906 and was originally a Sanatorium, and then it was Princeton's first hospital until 1962.
Haunted By Experiments on Children
Thirteen years ago a documentary was released detailing the horrifying experiments that were performed on children of color in 1947. Vertis Hardiman was only five years old when his life changed drastically.
This feature-length investigative report tells the story of Vertus Hardiman and nine other children, who attended the same elementary school in Lyles Station, Indiana. In 1927, the group was severely irradiated amid a medical experiment sponsored by the local county hospital. The trial was misrepresented as an innovative cure for scalpel ringworm, a condition that was prevalent among children at the time. In reality, the ringworm fungus was a persuasive tactic used to gain access to innocent children.
Deaths and Cremation
Nothing says haunted like places where people have died. There was also a crematorium in the basement along with a tunnel that led to a house across the street for the nurses. There was also a rumor that the tunnel led to the funeral home. It has since been filled with concrete.
The building was still in pretty good condition for several years and was home to Bruce Beyers CPA. In September of 2020, the property was sold to Benjamin Sands for $10,000.
Haunting Sites and Smells
Without going into all of the details, a family with children had been living on the first floor in extremely deplorable conditions. The authorities have dealt with that, and hopefully, the children are in a better living situation now. As you'll see in the troubling photos below, the building has a new level of haunt with the art the children left behind.
Life Beyond Haunting
Residents in Princeton should be happy to know that the old hospital was purchased in July, and the makeover is underway. Amy Corressell and Josh Kerchief were allowed in to take photographs of the historic building. Amy tells me that they have explored many places over the years, and this one was by far the creepiest.
See Inside One of Southern Indiana's Creepiest Buildings
Gallery Credit: Liberty
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz