Metropolitan State Hospital

1927- 1992

Waltham, Massachusetts

Metropolitan State Hospital would be Massachusetts last state hospital to be built in nearly 70 years. Located in three different towns Lexington, Waltham and Belmont the campus would spread over 330 plus acres of land. Styled in a more Colonial Revival, the hospital was built with red bricks and white accents of trim. Unlike other state hospitals, Metropolitan would not be built in the Kirkbride plan but instead in the cottage plan. With new changes and attitudes in the medical field, Metropolitan State Hospital would be the newest and most technology advanced hospital for mental health in the state. The hospital opened its doors a few days before Halloween in October 1927. The campus had its own power plant, Male and Female Dorms, an entertainment hall (Kline Hall), Medical Building, Continued Treatment Group building (CTG Units), Laundry House, Admin Building and chapels. The hospital even had its own children’s unit when it first opened, but after many concerns of having children so close to adult the state decided to finally separate them. In 1955, Metropolitan State Hospital’s children unit, The Gaebler Children’s Center opened for children and teens up to age 16. Like most state hospitals, Metropolitan closed in 1992.

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