haunted townhomes

The 'ol Jefferson Davis Mental Hospital has been rehabbed into townhouse-style two story apartments for artists and low income housing, artist Derek Shumate just got a sweet place up there. The great view of downtown sure made up for the squirrelly backwater streets on downtown's north corridor, there are rumors of a creepy junkyard on Elder Street full of toughs living under the tangle of freeway overpasses and Houston's old trainyards- that I'm glad I didn't run into. After all the rumors of poltergeists, satanic seances and souls tortured by the state's mental health professionals I didn't want to set foot in the place, but I stopped by the most famous haunted building in the city last Saturday for an opening. It was packed but it wasn't worth taking pics... I went and hung out with Derek and Betsy Askew instead.

great view from the parking lot, eh?

A mental hospital named after the president of the Confederacy?
Seems oddly appropriate...

Picture of a guy taking pictures of the skyline...

Sunset over Derek's balcony

poster by B*Kay

They stripped the place down to the supporting beams and made it all new and hip with exposed pipes and high ceilings and shit...

Creepy blood (?) stains on the stairs...

poster by OBEY (MLK!)

Betsy Askew

Print by YAR

Sterile, creepy hallways- a little of The Shining, a little Francisco Studios (with less urine odor)

Nice roof for a party! Derek and Betsy being cute...

Too many skyline pics...

Who's that ugly bastard?

"The fire department next door was constructed in 1968 on another section of City Cemetery. During a maintenance project in the mid-1980s, human remains were unearthed by the fire department and City Cemetery was re-discovered. There is indication that maintenance crews may have desecrated and looted some graves" from Lone Star Spirits

Then we went to a karaoke party for Becca and James' birthdays!

Can you tell what song they're singin'?