The Westborough State Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the country to use a treatment called Hydrotherapy. This is the use of water to help with maintaining diseases and health. This was used instead of torturous methods like psychoactive medicine. In addition to Hydrotherapy, a type of healing called Occupational Therapy was used. This is when someone with a disability or an injury is given a job to accomplish, like clothes making or farming, that interests them. This is a good way for someone to get better and plus they may be having fun in the process!
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The Westborough State Hospital was established in 1884 with construction starting in 1886. After almost two years of building by architects from Boston named Kendall, Taylor, and Stevens, the mental hospital was opened in 1887. With nearly 50 different structures, the community at this hospital was mostly self sufficient meaning they grew their own food and made their own clothes. The main reason that the hospital was built was to house the over 500 students from the Lyman School For Boys that was shut down by the government only a few years before. These students were called "The Insane" by the public. By the end of World War II, the Westborough State Hospital housed almost 1,700 patients.
When the hospital was ready for patients at the end 1886, around 200 patients were placed in the Westborough State Hospital. They all came from other hospitals in the area that did not have enough space for the patients. It is said that when the hospital was first opened, there was the ability to hold up to 500 patients. Whenever the hospital needed more space, it expanded to the farms in the area which eventually led them to many acres of land, 648.8 acres to be precise.
Located across Lake Chauncy was where the Tuberculosis patients were kept. This area was known as the Warren Colony (see left).
The name of the Hospital was officially changed from The Westborough Insane Hospital to the Westborough State Hospital in 1907 At the peak of the hospital, there were over 2,100 patients and more than 800 employees. This occurred in the late 1950's to early 60's. From there, the numbers went down and by 2010, there were no one left. |