Grafton State Hospital for the "chronic insane" opened in 1901 as an extension of Worcester State Hospital. The state of Massachusetts purchased 700 acres of land for this new farm colony hospital, which aimed to provide agricultural and therapeutic work for patients that Worcester could not accommodate. To take advantage of the rural open area, the campus was designed in a cottage plan.

 

The campus was divided into two parts: the northern section housed female patients, while the southern section was designated for male patients. Instead of classifying patients by their diagnoses, the hospital categorized them based on behavior: “Violent,” “Excited,” “Quiet,” and “Peaceful.” The colonies were named after different types of trees: Pines and Elms were for violent and excited patients, while Willows and Oaks were for quiet and peaceful patients. The Pines (female) and Elms (male) buildings were constructed as heavy masonry structures, while the Willows and Oaks were designed as cottages made of stone and wood.

 

By 1912, Grafton was administratively separated from Worcester and became an independent institution. Over the following decade, the hospital expanded to accommodate the growing patient population by adding a theater, an administration building, and a new female colony known as Cedar. Pines and Elms underwent significant expansion in 1916 when Worcester State Hospital aimed to transfer their "epileptic, noisy, disturbed, and violent" patients to Grafton to maintain peace in the city. Patients in the Elms colony contributed to the construction of new buildings, as it was believed that this involvement helped control their outbursts.

 

Another advancement for the hospital included state-of-the-art hydro-therapy rooms. By 1945, Grafton reached its highest occupancy of 1,730 patients. During this time of stress and overcrowding, the focus shifted to making the hospital as self-sufficient as possible, leading to an emphasis on agriculture, while occupational treatments for patients nearly disappeared.

 

In the 1970s, a change in attitudes toward the mentally ill began taking place across the country. The prevailing view shifted towards establishing smaller group homes for patients rather than maintaining large institutions like Grafton. The hospital ultimately closed in 1973 following a lawsuit won by several patients against Dr. Sevinsky for sexual misconduct.

 

After its closure, the Willows colony for females was demolished. However, in 1978, a redevelopment agreement was made between the state of Massachusetts and Tufts University, also known as Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, to rehabilitate some of the buildings. The Administration building, theater, and portions of the Elms (violent/excited male colony) were repurposed during this time. The Job Corps program also initiated the reuse and redevelopment of buildings on the northern side of the campus, refurbishing only one-third of the Pines building (violent/excited female colony), while the remaining two-thirds remained vacant. As of 2022, the three connected Pines buildings have been demolished to make way for a 317-apartment complex featuring restaurants and shops.