top of page
Danvers State Hospital Timeline John Gray
TIMELINE 

1874

Construction begins

1876

The hospital’s own reservoir was constructed

1878

The State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers opens on May 1st the first patient was admitted on May 13th.

1898

The hospital was renamed to Danvers Insane Hospital and the second nurses home in Massachusetts (Gray Gables) was constructed

1899

Hydrotherapy treatment introduced

1903

The Middleton Colony opened

1909

The hospital was renamed from Danvers Insane Hospital to Danvers State Hospital

1927

Dr. Clarence Bonner was announced as Superintendent

1930s

The hospital started to suffer from severe overcrowding and lack of funding

1946

Insulin Coma Therapy was introduced

1947

At age 17, Marie Balter was admitted as a patient

1948

The first lobotomy was performed

1950s

Electric Shock Therapy was introduced

1954

Dr. Clarence Bonner retires

1955

Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) was being used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders

1968

Marie Balter was discharged

1970s

The Department of Mental Health starts the deinstitutionalization process

1984

Marcia Cini and Candace Jenkins placed DSH on the National Register of Historic Places

1988

Marie Balter returns as an administrator & chief hospital spokeswoman

1991

The State decides to close Danvers State Hospital

1992

The last patients and employees are transferred to nearby Tewksbury State Hospital on June 24th

1992-06

The campus was abandoned

2005

Avalon Bay purchases the property from the State of Massachusetts for $18.1 million to be used as apartments and condominiums

2006

Avalon Bay demolishes all buildings and leaves only the main administration building and D & G wings, exterior front facade shells. See demolition time line for details

2008

Avalon Bay starts accepting tenants and the site is known as Avalon Danvers

2014

Avalon Bay sells the property to Boston based firm DSF Group for $108.5 million

2014-present

DSF Group renames the property twice since ownership. Once under Halstead Danvers and now known as Bradlee Danvers 

bottom of page