Haunted St. Ignatius Hospital, Ghosts and Paranormal Activity

haunted st ignatius hospital colfax wa

In 2016 we were the first paranormal investigation team to spend three nights at St. Ignatius Hospital.  Being the first paranormal team to investigate, this abandoned hospital we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax Washington is what an abandoned hospital should look, feel, and it is without a doubt haunted by the ghosts of the patients that once walked its halls.  Since our 5 day paranormal investigation in 2016, the hospital was investigated by Ghost Adventures, Buzzfeed, and other paranormal tv shows.

St. Ignatius Hospital History

The haunted St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax, Washington served the Palouse region from 1893-1964. The hospital’s construction began in 1893 by Rev. Jachern who saw the need for healthcare in the Palouse area of Washington, while the three Sisters of Charity provided medical care in wooden buildings that were located close to the construction of the new hospital. As soon as construction of the St. Ignatius hospital was completed in 1894, it opened its doors.

New additions to the hospital were added in 1917 and in 1928 which accommodated longer-term patient care.  The St. Ignatius School of nursing was established and graduated its first class of nurses in 1911. One interesting note is that Washington State’s first two male nurses earned their degrees in 1941 from this school.  

However, during the 1950s to 1960s, the hospital began to decline and would eventually close its doors in 1964. Once it closed the building served as assisted living for the elderly and for people with mental disabilities. It is widely speculated that it was during this time that the patients were neglected.

Without government assistance, rising healthcare costs, the hospital fell into disrepair and began facing closure. In August of 1964, the state closed St. Ignatius Hospital and built a new hospital in the surrounding area. St. Ignatius Hospital later became an assisted living facility until it was closed in 2000.

We were unable to verify the number of St. Ignatius hospital deaths, however, it is safe to assume that the number is probably in the hundreds based on the population of the county.

Is St. Ignatius Hospital Haunted?

During our three-day paranormal a psychic sketch artist reported seeing an unsettling shadow figure numerous times. However, she along with our other investigators was unable to capture the shadow man.  She believed that the shadow man had been in a horrible wreck of some kind.  One of the ghosts that are commonly observed in the abandoned hospital is of F.E. Martin who was the first patient to ever die in St. Ignatius Hospital.

In 1893, F.E. Martin was crushed between two railroad cars, only to die on the hospital grounds. His ghost is said to be very active on the first floor and fourth floors and appears to the living as a dark and menacing shadow figure.

Haunted St. Ignatius Hospital Shadow Man Ghost
4th Floor Shadow Man at St. Ignatius Hospital – Is this the ghost of F.E. Martin?

Some of the other interesting parts of the paranormal investigation occurred while we were playing ouija in the “left is dead” section of the hospital and coming up with a girl whose name was “Emily” on the board.  The name Emily also was captured on an audio recorder during one of our EVP sessions.   

Rosie’s room on the third floor always was very active with poltergeist activity, audible disembodied voices, and our electronic equipment malfunctioning.

To watch the full investigation you can visit our YouTube channel, where the full paranormal investigation can be watched!