Randolph County Infirmary
A voluntary commitment.
Randolph County Infirmary, is located in Winchester, Indiana.
Once a poor farm dating back to the late 1890’s, the Randolph County Infirmary housed people who weren’t able to care for themselves or whose families weren’t able to care for them. The residents who were able, worked on the surrounding land or inside the building to earn their keep. At 58,000 square feet, it’s a massive building and the thought of staying overnight was an intimidating one indeed!
Walking the long hallways and the barn on property felt like stepping back in time. The seemingly endless maze of rooms containing old beds, toys, and chairs made it feel like we were intruding on someone else’s space. As night fell, the cold and darkness seemed to close in around us at times, giving us a sense of being totally alone.
Activity started almost right away during our tour of the building while we were in the attic - the door handle to the attic jiggled loud enough for us all to hear, leaving us all to stare at each another with baffled looks on our faces. During our stay we experienced unexplained loud knocks, the feeling of an unseen person walking up behind us, audible disembodied voices, and a general feeling of unease. It became increasingly hard to peer around corners and into rooms and not fear that something or someone would be staring back.
One night here certainly did not feel like enough for any of us. We can’t wait to make a return visit.
