RETRO REPORT: The fascinating (and dark) story of the Athens Lunatic Asylum

Photo via: Ohio University’s Digital Library Archives

The Athens Lunatic Asylum, perched atop a hill overlooking Athens, Ohio, opened this month in 1874 (151 years ago) as part of a nationwide movement toward more humane mental health care. Today, its repurposed campus—now called The Ridges and owned by Ohio University—stands as a testament to evolving mental health practices and the darker chapters of institutional care.

When the asylum opened, it initially embodied the principles of the mental health reform movement led by Dorothea Dix. Designed according to the Kirkbride Plan, the facility emphasized natural light, ventilation and therapeutic care. It housed 544 patients at its peak, treating conditions such as schizophrenia and epilepsy.

The asylum was largely self-sufficient, boasting a farm, dairy, orchards and greenhouses. Patients were encouraged to work as part of their treatment, a practice that practically blurred the line between therapy and forced labor. While this reflected the era’s belief in the restorative power of work, it also showed a lack of resources, as patient labor was often essential to maintaining operations.

As the asylum expanded its admissions, overcrowding became a critical issue. By the mid-20th century, the institution’s challenges multiplied. Underfunding and inadequate staffing led to deteriorating conditions.

Deteriorating conditions led to a particularly dark chapter in the Asylum's history. Dr. Walter Freeman was a physician who developed the process of trans-orbital lobotomies throughout the 50s and 60s. During the 1950s, Freeman came annually to Athens, where he performed hundreds of lobotomies, sometimes more than 20 a day. Between 2 to 5% of patients died, but hospital officials claimed many patients were “cured” by the procedure and were allowed to return home.

Even more shocking things happened within the Asylum during this era due to lack of patient care and underfunding. Notably, the disappearance of Margaret Schilling in 1978. After her disappearance, her body was discovered several weeks later, in a locked, unoccupied ward, with her remains largely decomposed. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, fueling rumors and legends of paranormal activity at the site.

Infamously, another figure linked to the asylum around this era is Billy Milligan, a man diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, who was admitted in the 1970s after committing a series of violent crimes. Milligan's case garnered national attention when he was acquitted of his crimes by reason of insanity, due to his multiple personalities, making him one of the first people in the U.S. to use dissociative identity disorder as a legal defense.

The mental healthcare industry in the United States underwent major changes in the 1950s. Research began to show that the mentally ill did not pose an inherent danger to their communities. The public became increasingly aware of procedures like electroshock therapy and the lobotomy, which would come to be seen as cruel, unnecessary and inhumane. These changes rendered large institutions like the Athens Lunatic Asylum increasingly obsolete. By the time the asylum closed in 1993, its population had dwindled, and much of its infrastructure was in disrepair.

Soon after this, Ohio University acquired the property and repurposed it as The Ridges, converting buildings into classrooms, offices and an art museum. While the site’s historic architecture and scenic grounds attract visitors, its haunted reputation, mostly filled with stories of ghost encounters and sightings, often overshadows its historical and cultural significance.

The story of the Athens Lunatic Asylum reflects broader societal shifts in the treatment of mental illness. Its founding ideals of humane care were long outdated by the time of its demise and often undermined by systemic shortcomings, leaving a stained legacy. 

As The Ridges continues to be an essential part of the Athens community, the site serves as a reflection of this stained past. Finally, despite its past of crude patient conditions, the Ridges serve as a reminder for the need for ethical and effective mental health care nationwide.