• The South Carolina State Hospital

  • Stories from Bull Street
  • By: William Buchheit
  • Narrated by: Adam Lofbomm
  • Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (43 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The South Carolina State Hospital  By  cover art

The South Carolina State Hospital

By: William Buchheit
Narrated by: Adam Lofbomm
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.17

Buy for $11.17

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Nearly two decades after it closed, the South Carolina State Hospital continues to hold a palpable mystique in Columbia and throughout the state. Founded in 1821 as the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum, it housed, fed, and treated thousands of patients incapable of surviving on their own. The patient population in 1961 eclipsed 6,600, well above its listed capacity of 4,823, despite an operating budget that ranked 45th out of the 48 states with such large public hospitals. By the mid-1990s, the patient population had fallen under 700, and the hospital had become a symbol of captivity, horror, and chaos. Author William Buchheit details this history through the words and interviews of those who worked on the iconic campus.

©2020 William Buchheit (P)2020 Tantor

What listeners say about The South Carolina State Hospital

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Story review

I enjoyed the stories in this book. I can relate to a lot of them as I also worked in a state hospital that’s been closed down & have a family member who suffers from a mental illness.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very interesting

This book was very interesting. It gave a lot of history and research facts as a relates to the history of mental health and wellness in our society.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good book to learn about the insides of the SC State Hospital

Very detailed stories of what it was like to work on the inside. If you are looking for a government perspective of the hospital, this book doesn’t do a good job of providing one. But it’s amazing of telling what it was like.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Couldn’t even get through chapter 2

The narrator is glib, boring, and repetitive. The same descriptors are used over and over without details. Terrible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

If your interested in real life asylums this is a great listen. The author wrote an amazing book. Highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!