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Opened: 1929
Closed: 1995
Molly Stark Hospital is located on the grounds of Molly Stark Park in Louisville, Ohio. The sanatorium was constructed over the 1920s in the style of Spanish Revival, with large windows, balconies, and verandas that make the building's structure very unique. It was built under the medical philosophy of that time where sunlight, fresh air, and basic medicines was required for patients in need of compassionate care from tuberculosis. The hospital opened its doors to the public on August 23rd, 1929 to provide care for victims suffering from tuberculosis in Stark County. At the time, Ohio required each county or surrounding counties to have a tuberculosis hospital, and Molly Stark stood with 24 other tuberculosis hospitals in Ohio. The sanatorium was named in honor of Molly Stark, who was the wife of American Revolutionary War General John Stark, whom Stark County is named after.
Beginning in 1956, Molly Stark Sanatorium began undergoing structural improvements and other changes. Medical science advanced in identifying and treating tuberculosis, causing Molly Stark to diminish as a facility solely operated for tuberculosis. Molly Stark Sanatorium changed its name to Molly Stark [Mental] Hospital in 1956, as the hospital began expanding for treatment of other illnesses and medical cases. Molly Stark began providing care for people in need of physical rehabilitative therapy, those with drug and alcohol abuse issues, and aging adults in need of care. Neglected aging infrastructure caused the hospital to close in 1995. After almost 15 years of being abandoned, Stark County Commissioners purchased the property for a sum of one dollar in April 2009. The grounds were soon opened as a publicly accessible park by Stark Parks, called Molly Stark Park, with rumors that the hospital is slated for demolition after its current removal of asbestos. An 8-foot, barbed-wire fence was installed around the hospital in 2015 to prevent the curious from entering the building.
Molly Stark Hospital poses many dangers with its collapsing structure and presence of asbestos, that is prone to happen if an explorer doesn't take proper safety precautions and wear respirators. County police often monitor the building and trespassing is prohibited, with arrest rates continuing to rise year after year. Molly Stark is also said to be haunted by restless spirits. There have been reports of strange noises from steel bed frames scraping against the ground and voices calling out to those who traverse the building. An apparition in a brown suit is often reported as well.
Source(s): Canton Repository, Canton Repository, Brian Moreland, Abandoned by Sherman Cahal, Asylum Projects
Closed: 1995
Molly Stark Hospital is located on the grounds of Molly Stark Park in Louisville, Ohio. The sanatorium was constructed over the 1920s in the style of Spanish Revival, with large windows, balconies, and verandas that make the building's structure very unique. It was built under the medical philosophy of that time where sunlight, fresh air, and basic medicines was required for patients in need of compassionate care from tuberculosis. The hospital opened its doors to the public on August 23rd, 1929 to provide care for victims suffering from tuberculosis in Stark County. At the time, Ohio required each county or surrounding counties to have a tuberculosis hospital, and Molly Stark stood with 24 other tuberculosis hospitals in Ohio. The sanatorium was named in honor of Molly Stark, who was the wife of American Revolutionary War General John Stark, whom Stark County is named after.
Beginning in 1956, Molly Stark Sanatorium began undergoing structural improvements and other changes. Medical science advanced in identifying and treating tuberculosis, causing Molly Stark to diminish as a facility solely operated for tuberculosis. Molly Stark Sanatorium changed its name to Molly Stark [Mental] Hospital in 1956, as the hospital began expanding for treatment of other illnesses and medical cases. Molly Stark began providing care for people in need of physical rehabilitative therapy, those with drug and alcohol abuse issues, and aging adults in need of care. Neglected aging infrastructure caused the hospital to close in 1995. After almost 15 years of being abandoned, Stark County Commissioners purchased the property for a sum of one dollar in April 2009. The grounds were soon opened as a publicly accessible park by Stark Parks, called Molly Stark Park, with rumors that the hospital is slated for demolition after its current removal of asbestos. An 8-foot, barbed-wire fence was installed around the hospital in 2015 to prevent the curious from entering the building.
Molly Stark Hospital poses many dangers with its collapsing structure and presence of asbestos, that is prone to happen if an explorer doesn't take proper safety precautions and wear respirators. County police often monitor the building and trespassing is prohibited, with arrest rates continuing to rise year after year. Molly Stark is also said to be haunted by restless spirits. There have been reports of strange noises from steel bed frames scraping against the ground and voices calling out to those who traverse the building. An apparition in a brown suit is often reported as well.
Source(s): Canton Repository, Canton Repository, Brian Moreland, Abandoned by Sherman Cahal, Asylum Projects
Members: Brandon Greavu, Jacob Andrews, Seth Richards, Christian Grimm
Date: December 3, 2016
The Malvern EPS's first trip to Molly Stark Hospital took place on the night of December 3rd, 2016. This trip was our second major mission, after the Fairmount Orphanage, so we were still inexperienced. We parked at the Hot Laps Sports Bar on Ravenna Avenue. We decided to cut across the cornfield adjacent from the bar, going about half a mile until we came across an unnamed road east off of Columbus Road, that ran across the woods right behind Molly Stark Hospital. We found a closed off road or path that led straight to the south side of the hospital (according to the map below), and followed it until we saw the silhouette of the hospital appear.
We began walking around the east wing of the massive hospital steeped in mystique. Windows were broke open with dirty drapes flowing in the wind. Vines and overgrowth covered the sides of the hospital. However, there posed one difficulty in attempting to get inside: a 10-feet high barbed-wire fence. We also noticed two cameras near the southeast corner corner of the east wing. Dismissing these cameras to be inactive and unused, we tried climbing the fence. Some of us would walk around the perimeter looking for another entrance, some of us would keep watch, and some of us would try climbing the fence, and the four of us kept rotating. After analyzing the situation, we decided that we could not get in at that point, but we weren't going to give up.
We split into two groups of two and would split off on each side of the hospital looking for a possible way to get in. Seth and Grimm searched the north side of the building and Brandon and Andrews did the same for the south side. As Andrews and Brandon came to the end of the west wing, we didn't see any sign of Grimm and Seth. But all of a sudden, we heard the sound of someone whistling. We both stopped in our tracks, and quickly observed our surroundings. We presumed it was Grimm and Seth, so we waited for them to come around. When they eventually came around from the south side of the hospital, we asked them if they whistled for us. They both were quick to dismiss it, stating that neither of them can whistle. The four of us suddenly felt on edge, but continued heading along the north side. Within only a couple of feet, we began to hear the sound of voices in the distance behind us. Suddenly, we saw two silhouettes cross in front of this small white building only over a dozen yards away from us. Panicking, we began sprinting for the treeline east of the hospital.
The four of us laid down in the treeline, all out of breath, and waited to see if any activity took place. After about five minutes, we saw the two people searching the southern treeline with flashlights. We knew we had to do something and continued moving through the woods. After getting deeper, we stopped. We discussed what we should do and we decided the best plan was to just leave. We continued outside of the woods and across the cornfield, back the way we came and regrouping at the car. Failing this first attempt at Molly Stark, we knew we had to plan strenuously for our next trip.
Date: December 3, 2016
The Malvern EPS's first trip to Molly Stark Hospital took place on the night of December 3rd, 2016. This trip was our second major mission, after the Fairmount Orphanage, so we were still inexperienced. We parked at the Hot Laps Sports Bar on Ravenna Avenue. We decided to cut across the cornfield adjacent from the bar, going about half a mile until we came across an unnamed road east off of Columbus Road, that ran across the woods right behind Molly Stark Hospital. We found a closed off road or path that led straight to the south side of the hospital (according to the map below), and followed it until we saw the silhouette of the hospital appear.
We began walking around the east wing of the massive hospital steeped in mystique. Windows were broke open with dirty drapes flowing in the wind. Vines and overgrowth covered the sides of the hospital. However, there posed one difficulty in attempting to get inside: a 10-feet high barbed-wire fence. We also noticed two cameras near the southeast corner corner of the east wing. Dismissing these cameras to be inactive and unused, we tried climbing the fence. Some of us would walk around the perimeter looking for another entrance, some of us would keep watch, and some of us would try climbing the fence, and the four of us kept rotating. After analyzing the situation, we decided that we could not get in at that point, but we weren't going to give up.
We split into two groups of two and would split off on each side of the hospital looking for a possible way to get in. Seth and Grimm searched the north side of the building and Brandon and Andrews did the same for the south side. As Andrews and Brandon came to the end of the west wing, we didn't see any sign of Grimm and Seth. But all of a sudden, we heard the sound of someone whistling. We both stopped in our tracks, and quickly observed our surroundings. We presumed it was Grimm and Seth, so we waited for them to come around. When they eventually came around from the south side of the hospital, we asked them if they whistled for us. They both were quick to dismiss it, stating that neither of them can whistle. The four of us suddenly felt on edge, but continued heading along the north side. Within only a couple of feet, we began to hear the sound of voices in the distance behind us. Suddenly, we saw two silhouettes cross in front of this small white building only over a dozen yards away from us. Panicking, we began sprinting for the treeline east of the hospital.
The four of us laid down in the treeline, all out of breath, and waited to see if any activity took place. After about five minutes, we saw the two people searching the southern treeline with flashlights. We knew we had to do something and continued moving through the woods. After getting deeper, we stopped. We discussed what we should do and we decided the best plan was to just leave. We continued outside of the woods and across the cornfield, back the way we came and regrouping at the car. Failing this first attempt at Molly Stark, we knew we had to plan strenuously for our next trip.
Members: Brandon Greavu, Jacob Andrews, Seth Richards, Joey Crowl, Jacob Stillion
Date: January 1, 2017
Report: In the beginning hours of New Years Day, we revisited Louisville, Ohio to make another attempt at the infamous Molly Stark Hospital. It was about 2 a.m., and the five of us parked once again at the Hot Laps Sports Bar. Just like our previous attempt, we traversed through the cornfield to the unnamed road. However, instead of cutting through the woods to the south side of the hospital (according to the map below), we continued down the road and went through the cornfield east of the hospital. This was to avoid the potential cameras and reach our planned access point. We slowly crept up through the brush towards the hospital and hid behind a couple trees, analyzing our surroundings and determining that the area was clear. Andrews and Brandon made their way towards the fence while the other three stayed in the brush keeping an eye out. After Andrews and Brandon managed to make their way through the fence, Seth quickly but quietly did the same while the other two stayed outside to keep a lookout. We were finally within the perimeter of Molly Stark Hospital.
Our original plan was to simply climb through a second story window we noticed, but it was higher than we expected. We had nothing at our disposal to climb with, so we searched around the area for something to use. We found an office chair and tried boosting Seth up to the window from the chair, but it didn't work. We kept looking for other solutions and just when we were about to give up, we found a hose and instantly got an idea. We tied the hose to the chair and boosted Seth as he threw the chair into the window. We signaled Joey and Stillion to regroup with us, and with the chair acting as an anchor, we all climbed up the hose and through the window successfully.
The five of us finally gained entry into Molly Stark. Initially, there was a long dark hallway with many rooms branching from it. The wall paint had been peeling away, lights are hanging from the ceiling, and debris covered the hallways and rooms. Many rooms were full of debris, with beds, desks, and chairs stacked up, making the rooms inaccessible. Documents and papers were scattered all around. We explored the many hallways and rooms and a few lobby areas until we made our way to the roof. We sat on top of the roof as we looked out into the distance and admired the scenery. As we returned to the inside of the hospital, we noticed how eerie and mysterious the building is, with us always expecting something paranormal to happen. However, such activity never occurred. After hours of exploration, we left the way we came in and made our way back to the car, finishing at roughly 5 a.m. We advise anyone who wants to visit Molly Stark Hospital to admire it from the outside as it is very dangerous to explore and risky as the police constantly patrol it.
Date: January 1, 2017
Report: In the beginning hours of New Years Day, we revisited Louisville, Ohio to make another attempt at the infamous Molly Stark Hospital. It was about 2 a.m., and the five of us parked once again at the Hot Laps Sports Bar. Just like our previous attempt, we traversed through the cornfield to the unnamed road. However, instead of cutting through the woods to the south side of the hospital (according to the map below), we continued down the road and went through the cornfield east of the hospital. This was to avoid the potential cameras and reach our planned access point. We slowly crept up through the brush towards the hospital and hid behind a couple trees, analyzing our surroundings and determining that the area was clear. Andrews and Brandon made their way towards the fence while the other three stayed in the brush keeping an eye out. After Andrews and Brandon managed to make their way through the fence, Seth quickly but quietly did the same while the other two stayed outside to keep a lookout. We were finally within the perimeter of Molly Stark Hospital.
Our original plan was to simply climb through a second story window we noticed, but it was higher than we expected. We had nothing at our disposal to climb with, so we searched around the area for something to use. We found an office chair and tried boosting Seth up to the window from the chair, but it didn't work. We kept looking for other solutions and just when we were about to give up, we found a hose and instantly got an idea. We tied the hose to the chair and boosted Seth as he threw the chair into the window. We signaled Joey and Stillion to regroup with us, and with the chair acting as an anchor, we all climbed up the hose and through the window successfully.
The five of us finally gained entry into Molly Stark. Initially, there was a long dark hallway with many rooms branching from it. The wall paint had been peeling away, lights are hanging from the ceiling, and debris covered the hallways and rooms. Many rooms were full of debris, with beds, desks, and chairs stacked up, making the rooms inaccessible. Documents and papers were scattered all around. We explored the many hallways and rooms and a few lobby areas until we made our way to the roof. We sat on top of the roof as we looked out into the distance and admired the scenery. As we returned to the inside of the hospital, we noticed how eerie and mysterious the building is, with us always expecting something paranormal to happen. However, such activity never occurred. After hours of exploration, we left the way we came in and made our way back to the car, finishing at roughly 5 a.m. We advise anyone who wants to visit Molly Stark Hospital to admire it from the outside as it is very dangerous to explore and risky as the police constantly patrol it.
Members: Brandon Greavu, Jacob Andrews, Seth Richards, Christian Grimm, Brooklyn Roessner
Date: September 3-4, 2017
Report: Nine months after our last successful Molly Stark mission, we decided to return to the memorable hospital. It was about 10 p.m. and the four of us, along with Seth's girlfriend, parked at the Hot Laps Sports Bar just like the previous two missions. We decided to take the same route as the last mission since and make our way through the cornfields. However, unlike last time, the cornstalks haven't been harvested and we had to go through a maze of 8-feet tall cornstalks. We began to navigate blindly through the first cornfield until we came into a large soybean plot that was also difficult to get through due to its entrapping vines, and they were also wet so our legs got drenched. We eventually got past the first farm field and made our way to the unnamed road. We continued with the original route and had to once again traverse through 8-feet tall cornstalks through the cornfield east of the hospital.
After a long time trying to find our way to the hospital, we finally arrived to our destination. Just like last time, Brandon and Andrews gained entry through the fence while the other three hid in the treeline and kept an eye out for witnesses. After gaining entry through the fence, we noticed the window we climbed through last time was boarded up. After further inspection, we found an opening in another nearby window we could climb through, however, it was too high to reach. Fortunately for us, we brought a fire escape ladder as we already expected such a high climb. We boosted Seth like usual and he flung the ladder into the opening. We all climbed through the window and for the second time, we successfully made it inside of Molly Stark Hospital.
Since our first visit, not much has changed and the deteriorating building that was once a prospering hospital remained the same. While we explored the inside, we were reminded of the eerie and creepy atmosphere Molly Stark is known for. For the next few hours, we roamed the halls we experienced almost nine months prior, exploring and admiring everything the hospital has to offer. In general, our experience inside of Molly Stark was the same as it was the first mission, but it was still a thrilling and memorable experience. We left the hospital back through the opening in the window with the ladder and made our way back to the car, as it was another successful mission for the Malvern EPS. We did not experience anything paranormal during our trip.
Date: September 3-4, 2017
Report: Nine months after our last successful Molly Stark mission, we decided to return to the memorable hospital. It was about 10 p.m. and the four of us, along with Seth's girlfriend, parked at the Hot Laps Sports Bar just like the previous two missions. We decided to take the same route as the last mission since and make our way through the cornfields. However, unlike last time, the cornstalks haven't been harvested and we had to go through a maze of 8-feet tall cornstalks. We began to navigate blindly through the first cornfield until we came into a large soybean plot that was also difficult to get through due to its entrapping vines, and they were also wet so our legs got drenched. We eventually got past the first farm field and made our way to the unnamed road. We continued with the original route and had to once again traverse through 8-feet tall cornstalks through the cornfield east of the hospital.
After a long time trying to find our way to the hospital, we finally arrived to our destination. Just like last time, Brandon and Andrews gained entry through the fence while the other three hid in the treeline and kept an eye out for witnesses. After gaining entry through the fence, we noticed the window we climbed through last time was boarded up. After further inspection, we found an opening in another nearby window we could climb through, however, it was too high to reach. Fortunately for us, we brought a fire escape ladder as we already expected such a high climb. We boosted Seth like usual and he flung the ladder into the opening. We all climbed through the window and for the second time, we successfully made it inside of Molly Stark Hospital.
Since our first visit, not much has changed and the deteriorating building that was once a prospering hospital remained the same. While we explored the inside, we were reminded of the eerie and creepy atmosphere Molly Stark is known for. For the next few hours, we roamed the halls we experienced almost nine months prior, exploring and admiring everything the hospital has to offer. In general, our experience inside of Molly Stark was the same as it was the first mission, but it was still a thrilling and memorable experience. We left the hospital back through the opening in the window with the ladder and made our way back to the car, as it was another successful mission for the Malvern EPS. We did not experience anything paranormal during our trip.