National Register of Historic Places

Taunton State Hospital

Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Listed
January 21, 1994
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
93001484

About this property

Taunton State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located on Hodges Avenue in Taunton, Massachusetts. Established in 1854, it was originally known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Taunton. It was the second state asylum in Massachusetts. Most of the original part of the facility was built in a unique and rare neo-classical style designed by architects Boyden & Ball. It is also a Kirkbride Plan hospital and is located on a large 154-acre (62 ha) farm along the Mill River. The complex was expanded at various times to include over forty buildings and structures. The main part of the hospital (known as "the Kirkbride Building") closed in 1975, and the buildings fell into disrepair. In 1994, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. In 1999, the main dome of the administration building collapsed. In 2006, a large part of the historic complex was destroyed by fire. In 2009, the remaining parts were demolished. However, many of the newer buildings on the campus remain.

Location

Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts
41.91293, -71.09908

Categories

ARCHITECTUREHEALTH/MEDICINESOCIAL HISTORY
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Buildings at 80 and 88 W. Brittania St.
Industrial
0.1 mi
North Taunton Baptist Church
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hopewell Mills District
Listed
0.3 mi
Lincoln, Ambrose, Jr., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Reed and Barton Complex
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Taunton State Hospital listed on the National Register?

Taunton State Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Taunton State Hospital?

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

What is the period of significance for Taunton State Hospital?

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

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