The place once known as the Western State Lunatic Asylum before it became a medium security prison in 1981 and was abandoned in 2002 opened last week as The Blackburn Inn. “This building has such a storied past,” says Paul Cooper, the president and CEO of Retro Hospitality, the firm that manages the inn. Part-time […]
The place once known as the Western State Lunatic Asylum before it became a medium security prison in 1981 and was abandoned in 2002 opened last week as The Blackburn Inn. “This building has such a storied past,” says Paul Cooper, the president and CEO of Retro Hospitality, the firm that manages the inn. Part-time […]
Seeking asylum He’ll tell you it’s not haunted, but owner and developer Robin Miller acknowledges the twisted history of the new Blackburn Inn, his historic boutique hotel set to open in Staunton this spring. Originally serving as the Western State Lunatic Asylum in the early 1800s, a hospital for the mentally ill—known for its electroshock […]