In 1979 had a chance to talk to a counselor that worked at the Clinton Valley Mental Hospital in Pontiac Michigan. He told me that he grew up playing in the hospital as a child. His father was the administrator and head doctor, he would go to work with his father and play there learning the corridors inside and out. He told me that a very long time ago when a patient died there they would bury them toward the back of the property because they had been made the wards of the court and the state would bury them there. The criminally insane were condemned to live out their lives there as punishment and they too were buried there. Well, not to many years ago the place was torn down and a nice new neighborhood was built on top of the exact grounds where the buildings and burial grounds were. Oh, I forgot something, the counselor told me that many of them were unmarked graves. My thinking and feeling is that if someone dies that is tormented by mental illness and the horrors of living in the place that it was just might not realize they have truly passed and their spirit stay around longer than they need to. I will leave a few links so you can see for yourself the old Clinton Valley Mental Hospital. It was not a place you would ever want to be or have to visit. What do you think about it all?


Clinton Valley Hospital for the Insane[/URL]

Clinton Valley Just Before Demise[/URL]

Original Clinton Valley Hospital Website[/URL]

[ January 30, 2005, 08:56 AM: Message edited by: Lucyeleven ]

Lucy, I have a ghost pic of CVC! I lived in Rochester, near there before it was torn down. My Pic is posted, with the story, on this site:

http://spiritkeep.net/ghosts/ghostphotos/reneeSK/MIstatehosp.html[/URL]

This is the site that I got my info from.
http://historiccvc.8m.com/[/URL]

The man that runs it was kind enough to write me back and tell me about the building in the pic. I had also taken a picture of the chapel on the grounds and he said that soon after it was burned down, arson, by a former inmate. Hard to believe, but the hospital was built with compassionate treatment towards the mentally ill in mind.



At the time I took my pics the hospital was still in use, though not the old wings.

[ January 29, 2005, 08:26 PM: Message edited by: Renee ]

What was your grade for the assignment you did on the place? Good subject and the pictures aren't bad. There was probably a lot of information on the structure. It reminds me of when my daughter had an art assignment in her photography class so she decided to take her pictures in a cemetery in Fenton, Michigan. Anyway, I had already seen your link you sent me and studied the picture of the figure in the window. I can see what you are talking about.

I wish I could remember the website that I was looking at, it had actual patients evaluations of how they were treated in Clinton Valley. There were some that talked about how they had their lives by being in there and others talked about how they were degraded and treated less than human. I will try to find it again and post it here. I don't think that along time ago and not so long into the past the mentally ill were treated to well. I mean the shock treatments were pretty crude and cruel.

I was just trying to get other opinions of what they think about the spirits of the people that were buried there and the neighborhood that was built right on top of the cemetery that was there.
I am sure they moved most of the graves but I was told by the counselor that there were some of them that had unmarked graves. I just don't think that I would want to live in the neighborhood. Even if they moved the graves wouldn't the spirits still be there?

Hi Lucyeleven,

I read through the links you provided (and the one Renee gave) and I didn't note any mention of a graveyard located on the grounds, perhaps I missed it? I imagine if the state was responsible for the burial of those that were wards of the court and a portion of the grounds was utilized as a cemetary that it would have been well documented. Just my opinion though. =) I would hope that if/when a relocation occured that all the graves were moved, with care and respect shown.

Given the age and size of this facitlity I would think that some of those that died there have remained earthbound. Actually I believe all hospitals have earthbounds along with many spirit visitors. I don't know that those that may have remained did so due to their mental illness? There are many reasons why a soul may remain earthbound. I hope that some of those that remained have since crossed with the help of Spirit from the other side.

I do think that most if not all cemetaries have some earthbounds that for whatever reason remain linked to the cemetary or the grave itself. I also believe when a cemetary is relocated that it's quite likely some of those earthbound spirits may well remain at that location even after it has moved. I wouldn't want to be building my home on land that was once a graveyard, not only because it just doesn't seem right but also due to the fact your apt to have a little unwanted company. You know when you think about it long ago many buried their loved ones on their property (without record or proper grave markings), so I suspect there are more housing developments then we realize that have long forgotten graves beneath them.

Renee, I enjoyed your story also and I think your pictures are great. I too can see the image you are referring to in the window.