Life and death go hand in hand, two sides of the same coin. Where one gives opportunities and happiness, the other gives the comfort of an end, but what if there exists a place between the two. A place that sits in the throws of limbo, where those who have passed linger and wander endlessly. These haunted places gain reputation as visitors encounter out of this world experiences, and not necessarily in a good way. You may see shadows and creatures resembling humans, voices and whispers, screams and moans throughout these areas that are haunted by the dead.
The Yorktown Memorial Hospital, located in southeastern San Antonio, was originally constructed in the late 1950s. This hospital was managed by the Felician Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church, who had hoped to assist and treat soldiers and their ailments gained from fighting in WWII. The hospital stayed open until 1986, when another hospital opened nearby that drove them out of business.
After its untimely shutdown, a private owner had purchased the area with the intent to create a drug rehabilitation center for those in the area. Unfortunately, due to the intense hauntings, the rehabilitation center was shut down, thus leaving the hospital vacant to the city.
Yorktown Memorial Hospital was rumored to have lost around 500 patients within a six year span. Over its career, this hospital had lost over two thousand people during treatments and surgeries. Some might even say that their doctors may have done more harm than good.
One of the most common apparitions to appear is Dr. Norwierski, who was one of the main medical professionals in this hospital. He had practiced medicine into his late 90s, and by the time he had retired, he held the oldest medical license in Texas. Unfortunately, not all his treatments and practices were entirely safe. Dr. Norwierski seemed to have made quite a few fatal mistakes during operations, in one such case he had accidentally slit the throat of a patient while operating on the thyroid. The doctor’s ghost seems to haunt the doctor’s lounge and the operation rooms.
Another more friendly spirit is a little girl named Stacy. She was approximately eight years old when she passed in the hospital, although it is uncertain as to how she passed. Stacy roams the halls looking for anyone to play with. The story goes that if you read her favorite story, “The Poky Little Puppy,” that was supposedly gifted to her by Dr. Norwierski himself, she will come and listen. Lots of visitors began bringing toys and balls for Stacy to interact with, and some paranormal investigators have caught her rolling the ball back towards them.
Let’s not forget about the nuns who ran the hospital in the beginning. These nuns, unlike their living counterparts, are malicious and violent. Visitors and paranormal investigators have claimed to have been choked, scratched, or rushed at. People also claim that these nuns will be especially violent towards those with visible tattoos. These apparitions can be caught on camera, with their shadow like figures roaming the halls, and peeking around corners of the building.
One of the most violent incidents within the hospital is attributed to a tragic story between lovers. The story refers to a love triangle between a female employee, a co-worker, and a patient. The nurse had been caught in the boiler room with her lover, and the patient had violently reacted in heartbreak. The patient stabbed the nurse to death, and while trying to escape the patient, she stabbed him back. The blood stains in the boiler room can be seen to this day. A forensic test had been tested on the stain, and the results confirmed it was human blood.
Shadow figures, apparitions, and ghosts appear frequently in the hallways. Sometimes, paranormal investigators bring EVP’s, an electronic voice phenomenon that occurs by rapidly switching through FM, and it is said that the spirits could manipulate the electric frequencies to convey messages. Some investigators had clearly claimed to have received phrases and voices talking through this machine.
Although the echoes of moaning and screams can be heard throughout the hospital, this place was once bustling with life, and death, with its patients and doctors. Once a lively, crowded area is now set to fade into history. Its legacy and stories will cling to any visitors who are brave enough to enter and see for themselves if this place is truly haunted.
For more information, please visit www.hauntedrooms.com/texas/san-antonio/haunted-places/yorktown-hospital or yorktown-memorial-hospital.club/.
