Tunnel System - Oregon State Hospital Historic District - Salem, Oregon
Posted by: 
ddtfamily
N 44° 56.437 W 123° 00.245
10T E 499677 N 4976353
Historic underground tunnel network below the Oregon State Hospital campus
Waymark Code: WMH10P
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 05/04/2013
Views: 7
Beneath the
Oregon State Hospital campus lies a network of 1.87 miles of tunnels, originally designed to allow transport of people and materials from building to building without having to surface. This provided the advantages of protecting staff and patients from the elements and the ability to cross under busy Center Street (formerly known as Asylum Avenue) without stopping traffic. The network was developed around 1900 and expanded as needed to accommodate connections to newer buildings.
During much of its history, a narrow gauge rail system allowed fast movement of people and freight along the system. In later years, the rails were abandoned, filled level with concrete.
In a video published by the Statesman Journal, an Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project Director provided viewers with additional history of the tunnels. The network included storage rooms, which infamously were used to provide additional bed space for patients during periods of hospital overcrowding. In some places, there were banks of glass that provided some natural light to some areas - the glass was a purple shade due to age.
The tunnel system is subject to significant myths and speculation, holding a place in the public's imagination due to its association with the infamous hospital. One popular myth was that the system was much more extensive and included connections to the Oregon State Penitentiary (1/4 mile south of the hospital) and, illogically, the Oregon State Capitol (1.2 miles west). Some former staff members and visitors also claimed the tunnel system was haunted, likely due to superstitions and the impact of inconsistent lighting, amplified sounds due to the tunnel's dimensions and the psychological impact of being underground below an old mental institution.
An outcome of the Oregon State Hospital replacement is that the facility's entire operations are now housed within the buildings south of Center Street. Remaining interior portions of the tunnel system are not accessible by the public. The purple glass skylights were either removed or paved over.
Visitors:
For purposes of a "visit," the best locations to see exterior evidence of the tunnels are the tops of the tunnel ceilings at points where they connect to some of the north campus buildings. The Waymark coordinates are for the east side of the Dome Building (see first three photos below). Another good spot is a branch of the tunnel ceiling that extends from the NW corner of the Dome Building into the North Park Grounds (see N 44° 56.437, W 123° 0.245, fourth photo below). The tunnel runs beneath much of the length of Bittern Street, with connections to each building, including Yaquina Hall (fifth photo below). A tunnel system map is available here (cropped from the NRHP nomination form).
The Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health, housed in the old Kirkbride Building, includes a display that recreates the old tunnel system (see photo).
Click a photo to enlarge
Tunnel Interior
Photo Courtesy of Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project |
Tunnel Skylights
Photo Courtesy of Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project |