National Register of Historic Places

Worcester Asylum and related buildings

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 5, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80000530

About this property

Worcester State Hospital was a Massachusetts state mental hospital located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The complex is attributed to the architectural firm Weston & Rand. The hospital and surrounding associated historic structures are listed as Worcester Asylum and related buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. It was once known as the Worcester Lunatic Asylum and the Bloomingdale Asylum. The hospital dates back to the 1830s. On January 12, 1833, the Worcester Insane Asylum opened. It was the first of its kind in the state. During the first year, 164 patients were received. Rapid overcrowding soon prompted superintendent Merrick Bemis to advocate for the construction of a new facility. A large-scale hospital was subsequently designed according to the Kirkbride Plan and located on Belmont Street. Construction began in 1870 and the newly built Worcester State Hospital was completed in 1876 at the cost of well over a million dollars. The wards were named after places in Massachusetts as well as numerous founders of the American Psychiatric Association, such as Howe, Appleton, Woodward, Gage, Hooper, Folsom, and Thayer.

Location

305 Belmont St.
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.27887, -71.77300

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
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

Worcester State Hospital Farmhouse
Industrial
0.4 mi
Green Hill Park Shelter
Industrial
0.5 mi
Delsignore, Louis, Three-Decker
Industrial
0.5 mi
Bloomingdale School
Industrial
0.6 mi
Magnuson, Charles, Three-Decker
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Worcester Asylum and related buildings listed on the National Register?

Worcester Asylum and related buildings was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Worcester Asylum and related buildings?

Worcester Asylum and related buildings is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Worcester Asylum and related buildings?

The period of significance for Worcester Asylum and related buildings is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Worcester Asylum and related buildings?

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