Asheville, North Carolina, is a beautiful part of the state. I was lucky enough to spend time in North Carolina for work, and on one of the days off, I went to Asheville, to visit the Biltmore Estate, which is amazing and beautiful and I highly encourage you to take a trip to the mountainous portion of North Carolina, not only for the Biltmore Estate, but also for the haunted Highland Hospital.
The Highland Hospital was a mental institution that was situated in Asheville, NC. It was the site of a fire that had killed as many as nine people. Sadly the original hospital is not standing, but reports of hauntings still circulate.
The hospital was built in 1904, by Dr. Robert S. Carroll. The hospital was dedicated to the care of the mentally ill and those with nervous diseases. Nervous diseases could be anything from laziness, female disease, greediness, jealousy, asthma, masturbation, or bad habits.
On March 10, 1948, a fire broke out in the kitchens. The flames quickly traveled through the entire building. The fire escapes were destroyed as they were made out of wood. As a result of this fire, a total of nine women perished. One of the women was Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby.
The original property is not there any longer, but the structure that stands is now a recovery center for teens and young adults. It is reported that Zelda continues to walk around the campus. She was known for taking frequent walks during her stays at the hospital.
A previous employee at the hospital encountered the spirit of Zelda. She looked and him and was trying to remember his name. Other people have also reported the spirit of a young man, it was also reported that this man died before the fire.
There aren’t reports of other abusive acts against the patients by the hospital staff nor amongst the other patients. This isn’t to say it didn’t happen, but it appears that this hospital was much more caring towards those that were there for care and treatment.
Happy Haunting!
Amateur Connoisseur 