Weston asylum has brought visitors from all over

Lewis County Commission President Agnes Queen believes the facility’s success has a tremendous impact on local tourism.

“We see quite a bit of traffic in the county from people who are visiting there, and it fills up the area hotels, depending on what is going on,” Queen said. “I think it’s a niche market that not a lot of people in the area are involved in. I think that’s why it is so successful. They do a significant amount of marketing through the convention and visitors bureaus.”

Construction began in 1858 on the nine buildings, as well as barns and farmhouses, on the expansive site. Work was interrupted by the Civil War, and  the asylum eventually opened in 1864, housing mentally ill patients until 1994.

This year marks 150 years since the first patient arrived at the facility and 20 years since the last patient left, said Bethany Cutright, office manager.

The asylum offers tours focusing on the hospital’s history; agriculture, because of the large farm where patients raised livestock, vegetables and fruit; architecture, which highlights the history of the building; and the paranormal.

Each tour features access to the Patient Art Gallery and the Museum, which is multiple rooms covering the century and a half of treatments and care of mental patients there.

“Because TALA has so many different types of tours, we get a variety of groups visiting,” Cutright said. “We have welcomed people of all ages and interests. In one day, we may have a family of four who is interested in learning more about the state hospital system that their great-aunt was in, then a couple from out of state following the Civil War Trail, and maybe a group of college kids seeking the thrills of a paranormal tour. It is not one niche market we appeal to. That is part of what makes coming to work every day exciting.”  

To continue to grow the appeal to an even wider audience, asylum now combines theater with the experience. The Seven Stories Theater Company of Fairmont will be performing six murder mystery musical productions this year. The asylum also offers Theater on Demand.

“Tourism has such a positive impact on many communities in and around the Mountain State. It is great when communities understand and value its resources and present those unique features and attributes as attractions to their area,” said Jacqueline Proctor, deputy commissioner of the state Division of Tourism.

“Lewis County has diverse offerings including the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Allegheny Glass, Stonewall Resort and Lambert’s Winery to name a few. A traveler interested in architecture, Civil War history, fine dining, wonderful accommodations, locally cultivated wines or artisan crafted glass, not to mention the warm and welcoming hospitality, would be very happy to visit this area.”

The 20-acre front lawn of the asylum also will be the site for the second annual Civil War Weekend. The free event will feature re-enactments, camps and interaction with historical figures from that era.

Upshur County Commission President J.C. Raffety believes asylum has given the region some national exposure due to its being featured on different television shows, such as “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Adventures,” “Paranormal Challenge,” “My Big Redneck Wedding,” “Abandoned Planet” and “National Geographic’s Diggers.”

“In addition to tours, they also have Halloween events. There is a lot of history there,” Raffety said. “It is interesting to look at the history in dealing with mental illness.”

All funds raised through the tours go back into restoration of the former hospital, Cutright said.

For more information call (304) 269-5070 or visit talawv.com.

Staff writer Darlene J. Swiger can be reached at (304) 626-1403 or by email at dswiger@theet.com