Phantasmagoria Photography Prints 
Instantaneous Photographs of Things Unseen
Captured and processed by S.M. McClure
 
Masks made by the patients of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.
Captured 4/9/2022 at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, WV.
 
History:
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, located in Weston, West Virginia, is a massive, Gothic-style institution that was originally designed to provide humane care for the mentally ill. Construction began in 1858 and was interrupted by the Civil War, during which the partially completed building was temporarily used as a military barracks. When it officially opened, the asylum was built to accommodate only 250 patients, following the Kirkbride Plan, which emphasized moral treatment and a therapeutic environment.
 
However, as time went on, the facility became severely overcrowded, housing nearly 2,400 patients at its peak in the 1950s. Conditions deteriorated, and patients endured neglect, mistreatment, and inhumane experimental treatments, including lobotomies and electroshock therapy. By the late 20th century, the rise of modern psychiatric care and deinstitutionalization efforts led to the asylum’s closure in 1994. Today, the structure remains one of the largest hand-cut stone masonry buildings in North America and serves as a historic landmark and tourist attraction.
 
With its tragic history, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is considered one of the most haunted locations in the United States. Visitors and paranormal investigators frequently report apparitions, shadow figures, disembodied voices, and unexplained noises.