History Briefs: The Philippi Mummies

The Philippi Mummies are a pair of preserved human bodies created by a local undertaker named Graham Hamrick in the late 1800s. Hamrick developed a special way to preserve the bodies without using toxic chemicals like arsenic, which were commonly used at the time. Instead, he used a mixture of balsam, alcohol, and other ingredients to keep the bodies from decaying, while also drying them out using a patented technique. The bodies were unclaimed by family, and sold to him as cadavers by the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

The acquisition of Hamrick's cadavers is part of a larger debate amongst historians and archaeologists regarding the ethics of keeping the mummies on display today. The inmates at the asylum could have been trapped in the facility for any number of reasons: physical disability, mental illness of any kind, revenge... there was no vetting process for admitting the inmates, and beyond providing no meaningful care, they often lived in a horrible and disease-riddled environment that significantly increased their risk to dying inside long before having an opportunity to be released. To this day, we still don't know the names of these two women or how they came to be at the asylum. There is a definitely a moral dilemma in displaying the human remains of individuals who never had the opportunity to consent to being used for experimentation, and an important issue to consider and discuss when planning to visit them.

Hamrick’s innovations were considered bizarre, but came at a fascinating time in U.S. history after many families of deceased soldiers had struggled to transport their loved ones' bodies long distances despite the growing use of the railway system. Hamrick's process allowed the bodies to be preserved for a longer time, making transportation and postponing burials easier. Eventually, the mummies became a popular attraction in the area, drawing visitors from all over the country. One urban legend claims that the mummies even went on tour with Barnum & Bailey for a time, but there isn't a strong paper trail to prove it at this time.

Today, the Philippi Mummies are on display at the Barbour County Historical Museum in Philippi, West Virginia. They are a unique cultural artifact and an important part of the town's history, but also a sad and painful reminder of how terribly the disabled and mentally ill have been treated over the centuries. Visitors to the museum can learn about the innovative mummification process used by Hamrick and the historical context that led to the creation of the Philippi Mummies.

Anyone looking to schedule a tour of the museum, and to view the mummies, should contact the Historical Society via their Facebook page to get the quickest response time and most accurate seasonal tour hours.