Construction of the building was started in 1868, and the facility opened in 1874. Many of the reasons patients were admitted to the hospital for in those day have since been discredited as causes of insanity, as well as some of the treatments that were carried out such as lobotomies (cutting the connections or removal of the prefrontal cortex part of the brain). When the hospital first opened many of its patients were civil war veterans who were suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, others types of patients that would also be there were children with severe behavioural problems, and mums from large families who would commit themselves to get a break. The amount of patients in the earlier days were around 200 but by the 1900's it had gone up to 2000, this led to severe overcrowding, and the need for patients to share rooms, and also it lead to the decline in the quality of treatment the patients recieved.By the 1960 though there was a new emphasis on the humanity of mental patients and new and better ways to care for them which led to more people recovering.By 1981 the hospital had fewer than 300 patients.

By the early 1990s the buildings were no longer used by the hospital as they were in a severe state of repair. The site of the old hospital now forms part of what is called The Ridges and is owned by Ohio Unerveristy. Members of ohio National Alliance on Mental Illness have helped to restore 3 graveyards which are located on the Ridges grounds where at least 2000 people are interred.

The old asylum building is known to be very haunted, the most popular ghost thought to still wander there is Margaret who wandered off and disappeared, staff could not find her anywhere, a maintence worker finally found her deceased in an unused ward, and it is thought she had been dead for several weeks, where her body lay as left a permanent stain on the floor, she is said to wander the corridors of the asylum, also the cemetary grounds are known to have a few of its own ghosts.