Tidewater, The Hospital that no one seems to want to talk about. (Albany: how much, home)

[sootnstars22]

I didnt see anything on this forum about this so here goes.

I am writing this because (as a raised out of state-er) my interest has finally came to a head on this little place in Augusta that once was called "Tidewater". That might ring a bell to some and might not to others. No worries, I will fill you in what I have heard in a minute. Normally, I wouldnt really pay much attention to "ghost-like" stories of a place, but this one, really nags me for some reason. Maybe it is because I actually drove up the heavily wooded lane to where it is. Anywho..I will explain.

What is "Tidewater"? Well, I'm glad you asked.

The truth is, I dont really know what, when, or who Tidewater was other than what people who have lived here all their lives have told me. (which normally is all crazy talk lol sadly, it is all i have to go from.) The word is that Tidewater was a hospital back when Richmond County was an actual city called, Richmond, Ga. I have heard all sorts of things on what kind of hospital this was- A sadistic mental ward, tuberculosis sanitarium, etc. (basically everything I have seen or heard of other asylums/hospitals that give you chills). My husbands mother even said when she was a girl (since she lives nearby Tidewater site) that she and her sister snuck in when and they saw a satanic ritual-like atmosphere inside of it which scared them and they left. I dont know how much of any of that is true and it probably isnt but it is all i have go on about what kind of place it was or wasnt.

Now the curious thing is if you research Tidewater Richmond, Ga. what you will find is that you will get exactly where it is off of Peach Orchard Rd. before you get to Tobacco Rd.

Well, that doesnt seem odd, does it? "So what?" your thinking.

The thing is that there is NO hospital back there. There is barely ruins there because, yes, I have driven back up the lane that says "No dumping" towards it and seen what is left of whatever had once been there. The drive back seems like you are driving forever and along the way you will see old couches and things people have dropped off or left behind. It sort of makes your skin crawl a little bit! (Granted I was hyped up on ghost stories!) Once you get there, there a clearing that opens and you see where something might have been. Sadly, There is just a half collapsed foundation and stairs. Many stairs at the very top have places in the cement where at least two large pillar columns might have been to a very nice looking building. When I stood there I couldnt help but try and envision just how the lot looked before its destruction by whatever forces fell upon it. (My Mother in law says it burnt down.)

Tidewater seems to me to be one of those ghostlike stories that never existed. No one really knows what it was used for or where it went. If you research it, you come up empty with no records of it and no leads on who or why. My husband has even looked at old newspapers and there one just one thing about a "grand opening" which was creepy enough! But there is no record of a fire, no record of a hospital! It is like Tidewater never existed!

But why? If not a hospital then what -WAS- there?

Normally I wouldn't feed much into things like this but I have seen with my own eyes that -something- was there and if you research the name you get an addressing of sorts to where this "hospital" was. That alone is odd enough!

My curiousity wont let it rest either way. I'm wondering if anyone else knows about "Tidewater" or what happened to it?

Feel free to share what you know/heard! Thanks!

[odysseyqueen]

I see what you mean! It's listed on so many maps... but no articles about it. My curiosity is awakened!

[sootnstars22]

Haha. Welcome to my obsession.

It is a bit weird isnt it? On the map it shows it at as the church parking lot but it isnt. It is the road after it (apparently called Tidewater Dr.) that winds up and back into a clearing. I should have added these earlier to make me look not so crazy..

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv353/Mind****Cynic/Tidewater2.jpg (broken link)

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv353/Mind****Cynic/Tidewater.jpg (broken link)

Kinda interesting for a place with a paved road back there, to have no history..and no record.

[odysseyqueen]

I found something! Not much, but something!
The News and Courier - Google News Archive Search
News and Courier, Jan 12, 1956

[odysseyqueen]

and an ad:
Herald-Journal - Google News Archive Search
It burned in 1978:
The Albany Herald - Google News Archive Search

[sootnstars22]

My husband found the first one last time he looked and the one about the fire.

The odd thing is from reopening to the fire, it wasnt a very long amount of time in service. kinda of a shame.

[billy14789]

It was Tidewater Plantation before it was the hospital. It even has a putt putt type course to the left of it. It had huge columns around it. The area used to be nice.. gone to hell now.

[lauriehenn]

This was my father's childhood home. It was later a hospital for recovering alcoholics. It burned down, I believe in 1972. It was a beautiful home!!!

[gabibliophile]

I took a look at the Chronicle's archives, and there doesn't seem to be too much mystery about it. It served as a hospital for alcoholics and later drug addicts, from 1956 to 1970. The hospital was actually in existence before that, in Beaufort, SC. For most of the time it was open, Dr. Thomas E. Fulghum was the medical director. The hospital closed down in 1970, and later that year a home for young girls with drug and alcohol addictions opened on the property, but closed down after only six months due to lack of funds. It finally burned down in 1978.

There are tons of advertisements for the hospital, several stories about it or the medical director, and even a few stories that mention it indirectly. (For instance, the police destroyed a mooonshine still adjacent to the property while the hospital was in operation. Perhaps the property is haunted by the spirits of alcoholics angry at all the wasted booze.)

Sorry, but I don't see any good creepy stories there. You can check all of this out in the Augusta Chronicle historical archives, available at any of the local libraries

[jwhitledge]

Tidewater hospital burned down after it was purchased by James H. Drew. It was also believe to have been owned by Ty Cobb's family when he was in his early years. I had personally seen the old hospital and was actually a beautiful home.