Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Posted: 11.25.2024 | Updated: 11.25.2024
This picturesque university may appear like a typical college campus by day, but those who linger after nightfall might declare otherwise. The students that attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design will regale you with the legends of those that haunt this creative institute. The things that creep into the school’s underground tunnels and the ghostly apparitions roaming the halls.
Lay your eyes upon this campus, and you will behold green lawns, lush gardens, and historic brick buildings. But those who journey beyond this ordinary exterior will uncover a past marked by sickness and death.
Although the school’s founding may be relatively recent, the site on which it sits contains a much older history. The grounds of the school were once a sanitarium, treating an influx of debilitated persons. Many of the old buildings from the original center still stand today, including the original synagogue frequented by patients praying for a cure for their illness.
Are you prepared to descend into this school’s dark past and discover what secrets lie buried beneath the campus’ daytime exterior? Read on. Attend a Denver Haunted Tour in person with Denver Terrors to learn more about the Mile High City’s haunted past!
Why Is The Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Haunted?
Many died of tuberculosis within the walls of this previous sanitorium. Its most famous ghostly inhabitant, however, died at the hands of another. Unsuspecting witnesses have seen this otherworldly lady in white around campus and below it — in the school’s underground tunnels.
Once a Sanitorium, Now a School
Philip J. Steele found this private college in 1936. Steele, himself an educator and notable illustrator, aimed to craft an art program that stemmed from the traditional artistic methods of the Renaissance.
Hoping to build a community for creative minds, he wished to nurture their skills in a supportive and scholarly environment. While this artistic mission bubbles with positivity, a sad and morbid history lies in the campus’ past.
The property that the school occupies today harbors a somewhat uncommon history. More than a century ago, the campus was home to those seeking treatment for tuberculosis. Here, the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society, commonly called JCRS, established a comforting refuge for those afflicted with tuberculosis.
In these times, tuberculosis had no cure, yet many believed clean, fresh air and sunshine would alleviate the suffering of the sick. For this reason, many headed to Denver, Colorado, in the hope of relief, and the city soon saw itself unprepared for this flood of patients.
Many sick immigrants found themselves living in tents by the Platte River in less-than-ideal conditions. In response, the West Colfax Jewish community responded by building JCRS as a dormitory and hospital for these ill newcomers.
The JCRS operation grew immensely over the years, becoming one of the biggest free treatment facilities for tuberculosis globally. The retreat included 34 buildings and stretched across 148 acres of land in the snug Colorado foothills.
Located in what was known as Spivak, Colorado, the site had everything from a working dairy farm to its own post office. Patients who attended the massive grounds commented on the welcoming environment, comparing it to that of a school rather than a medical site. Taking note of this, RMCAD acquired a slice of the nearly 150-acre spot.
The Patients That Never Left Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
In 2002, RMCAD purchased 23 acres and modernized them to suit the needs of its current student body. Today, they offer courses in the fine arts, digital design programs, 3D animation, game art, and fashion.
The college continues to use multiple buildings from the old sanatorium, helping to earn the campus a designation as a National Historic District. Staff and students alike have reported many strange occurrences within the campus walls. Cold spots, weird vibes, and the occasional apparition have all been reported at RMCAD.
Beneath many of the classic buildings lie underground tunnels connecting the older buildings. Lined with wires and pipes, these tunnels were used to transport patients, as well as to supply electricity and water. During Halloween, the college offers guided visits in these unnerving corridors to those brave enough to descend into their depths.
Their reaches are dark and eerie, leading one to wonder who might still lurk in the shadows of this subterranean portion of the school.
Many of those who sought out this sanatorium never left, eventually succumbing to their illnesses. Do these lost souls still linger in the tunnels or the floors above, giving those nearby a sudden chill or uncanny feeling in the pit of their stomachs as they pass by?
The Lady in White: A Murdered Nurse
In addition to the site's grim history as a tuberculous treatment center, other strange stories fuel the ghostly lore of this academic haunt. The most notable of which is the tale of Nurse Bessie. Referred to by many as “the lady in white” or “the murdered nurse,” Bessie’s story is a tragic one.
Bessie's patients loved her and her dilligent care according to the oft-told tale. One inpatient, a violinist, suffered a long fight with tuberculosis. Multiple times, he nearly died, yet Bessie nursed him back to health each time. Eventually, he fell in love with her and proposed.
Bessie refused, but the man persisted. Legend has it that he proposed one last time, knowing her answer would seal their fate. Upon her final refusal, he drew a gun from behind his back and murdered Bessie. Wishing to be with his beloved forever, he followed by turning the gun on himself, binding their souls forever in the afterlife.
Yet only Bessie haunts these halls today. Why so?
Contrary to the commonly told tale, historical accounts show that the scorned lover did not, in fact, die. Bessie’s murderer was a man named Issac Victor, a Russian violinist staying at the center. One night in 1919, Isaac proposed to Bessie as she left the dining hall. After she declined his offer, he shot her three times in the stomach.
Bessie was hurried to the facility’s operating room but was pronounced dead on arrival. Victor indeed shot himself after Bessie, but in deviation from the legend, reports indicate that he survived the injury. He died, not in the treatment center, but while in police custody awaiting his trial, finally succumbing to tuberculosis.
Haunted Denver
Why might Bessie still haunt these halls? Bessie Marold sought treatment at the sanitorium in 1918 and, after recovering, stayed on, becoming head nurse. Her reluctance to leave may be tied to her violent and unexpected passing — or could it be that she remains to tend to the other suffering spirits that still reside here?
Either way, her ghostly presence doesn’t appear to have affected the school’s attendance rates one bit. Today, the school educates more than 2,000 students, with Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design notable alumni, including painters, graphic designers, singers, and actresses. One might wonder what fascinating stories these successful graduates might have to tell about their ghostly experiences.
For more startling accounts of the mile-high city’s haunted sites, visit our blog. To be entertained with some bone-chilling tales in the flesh, book a twilight ghost tour of Denver with Denver Terrors!
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Sources:
https://www.rmcad.edu/get-to-know-us/about-us/history/
https://www.rmcad.edu/blog/a-blast-to-the-past-rmcad-campus-history/
https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/rocky-mountain-college-art-and-design
https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/RMCAD-Tunnel-Tour-2-1-1.pdf
https://www.rmcad.edu/event/halloween-tunnel-tours-experience-our-halloween-tradition-10-25/
https://www.rmcad.edu/blog/rmcad-ghost-stories-fact-vs-fiction/
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rocky-mountain-college-of-art-and-design-7649/student-life
https://www.gotouniversity.com/university/rocky-mountain-college-of-art-and-design
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