National Register of Historic Places

Foxborough State Hospital

Foxborough, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
July 18, 1994
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
94000695

About this property

Foxborough State Hospital, historically known as the Massachusetts Hospital for Dipsomaniacs and Inebriates, is a historic medical treatment facility at the junction of Chestnut and Main Streets in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The creation of an alcohol abuse treatment facility was authorized by state legislation in 1889, and the Foxborough campus was developed in the 1890s. The original campus consisted of a series of residential wards in an L shape, with an administration building at the center, and a variety of ancillary support buildings on the grounds. Problems with the facility, including its location (whose access to roads and railroads gave easy access to escaping inmates), prompted the state to move the substance abuse facility in 1914 to a new campus in Norfolk. The Foxborough campus was then adapted for use as a standard mental hospital. The surviving 19th-century elements of the campus were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The hospital was formally closed in 1975, but the complex saw other minor uses until it was completely vacated in 1996. In the 2000s the oldest buildings in the complex were rehabilitated and adapted for use as mixed-income housing. Redevelopment of the hospital property began in 2005, with one of the largest buildings being torn down to make way for a shopping plaza. As of mid-2009, the plaza is complete, the main building has been transformed into luxury condominiums, and other structures have been renovated and made into single and multiple-family housing. However, many buildings were razed to make way for homes or open land, and a few still remain standing and unused, such as the former hospital auditorium.

Location

Foxborough, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
42.07958, -71.25633

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORYHEALTH/MEDICINEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Foxborough State Hospital

This page lists Foxborough State Hospital. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Foxborough State Hospital report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Morse, Amos, House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Foxborough Pumping Station
Industrial
0.9 mi
Foxboro Grange Hall
Industrial
1 mi
Memorial Hall
Industrial
1.1 mi
Carpenter, Ezra, House
Industrial
1.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Foxborough State Hospital listed on the National Register?

Foxborough State Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Foxborough State Hospital?

Foxborough State Hospital is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Foxborough State Hospital?

The period of significance for Foxborough State Hospital is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Foxborough State Hospital?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Foxborough State Hospital will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Norfolk County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Norfolk County.

Explore NorfolkCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Foxborough State Hospital will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report