THE SANATORIUM at Lakeland Community Theatre

HALLOWEEN EVENT!

October 29, 30, 31 2010 7-11PM
Saturday OCT 30 Family Friendly Trick or Treating 5-7PM

When Lakeland was first settled The Mirror Sanatorium was founded and built in 1872 to house a number of confederate wounded, maimed, troubled and indigent souls suffering from a variety of chronic maladies. Dr. William Lefils, rumored to have served in the notorious confederate prison at Andersonville, was the first administrator. The Sanatorium as it was called was a two story, wood framed structure that housed about 150 patients. Tragically in late October of 1876 around the 8 o’clock hour The Sanatorium burnt to the ground horribly killing all that inhabited it. There were no ‘known’ survivors and positive identification of the deceased was next to impossible. The local newspaper reported that the conflagration illumined the night sky and could be seen for a distance up to ten miles. It was rumored an arsonist “a young woman who had an unrequited love affair with one of the married doctors”, perhaps Dr. Lefils, had started the blaze. Rumor also suggests this distraught woman was with child and tragically died in the blaze. Unfortunately all the accounts, records and patient lists where destroyed, thus throwing the whole event into obscurity. Only one photograph of this site survives these many decades later.

The site of this tragic incident is where coincidentally the Lake Mirror Center Theatre Complex was built over 50 years ago. Reports of strange sightings of a young pregnant woman, a maniacal doctor with scalpel in hand and other odd events in our theatre have been reported by many staff and volunteers over the years, most have occurred during the last week in October, the same period as that tragic fire over 130 years ago.

Please join us as we venture to unlock this horrifying mystery …….. You have to experience it to believe it!

Call 863 603 7529 for Information
Lakeland Community Theatre
121 S. Lake Ave, Lakeland FL 33801