The OES visited Edwin Shaw Hospital on July 7, 2004. Originally named Springfield Lake Sanitarium, this hospital was located in the town of Lakemore in Summit County. The oldest portion of the hospital opened in 1915 as the area's tuberculosis hospital and Sunshine Cottage opened in 1922 to give car for pediatric patients. In 1934, the hospital was renamed Edwin Shaw Hospital for Edwin Copeland Shaw, who was on the Board of Trustees in 1918. Sunshine Cottage was turned over to Children Services in 1947 and was expanded in the 1960s to include Sunshine Village. The Village was used to house orphans and/or abused children until it closed in 1985. Soon after legislation was passed in 1959 to allow patients with other diagnoses than tuberculosis to be admitted, the hospital expanded several times. Beginning in the mid-1970s, Edwin Shaw Hospital focused on providing outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation. In December 2009, a new facility opened in nearby Cuyahoga Falls and the old Edwin Shaw Hospital documented on this page was closed. County leaders are currently determining the future of the property.
Of course with such a diverse history, it is no surprise that the hospital is reportedly haunted. The spirits of not only the tuberculosis victims (there are 246 buried in the hospital's cemetery) but also of children who committed suicide and those who fell victim to ill-fates, are said to haunt the hospital and its grounds. Doors open and close by themselves and sounds of spectral footsteps are often heard in the halls. The sounds of a meal being served in the mess hall are heard quite frequently but, upon inspection, the mess hall is empty. Ghostly humming and other odd noises are heard in Sunshine Village, where the bulk of the paranormal activity seems to take place. During our visit, we snapped a few photos of the hospital property, but did not attempt to enter the building since it was still in active use. We did not witness anything paranormal.