Foxborough State Hospital, Historic medical district in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough State Hospital is a former psychiatric and addiction treatment facility in Foxborough, Massachusetts, made up of brick residential wards arranged in an L shape around a central administration building. Several of the original structures have since been converted into mixed-income housing and a shopping area, while others remain empty.
The complex opened in 1889 as the first state-run facility in the United States dedicated solely to treating alcoholism, a role that set a precedent for how public institutions handled addiction. It remained in operation until 1975, after which the buildings gradually changed purpose.
The brick buildings follow an English Queen Anne revival style mixed with American colonial forms, which gives the complex a residential rather than institutional look. This choice was deliberate: late 19th-century designers wanted patients to feel they were living in a home, not confined in a facility.
Much of the site is now private property, so visitors can generally only view the exterior of the buildings from public paths or roads. It helps to look up current access conditions before arriving, as open areas may vary.
The facility had a morgue built to hold eight bodies at once, which was unusually large for an institution of its type and reflects the high mortality rate among patients during that era. This morgue remained in use throughout the hospital's entire active period.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
