DANVERS STATE HOSPITAL 

Construction begins

The hospital’s own reservoir was constructed

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

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

Hydrotherapy treatment introduced

The Middleton Colony opened

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

Dr. Clarence Bonner was announced as Superintendent

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

Insulin Coma Therapy was introduced

At age 17, Marie Balter was admitted as a patient

The first lobotomy was performed

Electric Shock Therapy was introduced

Dr. Clarence Bonner retires

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

Marie Balter was discharged

The Department of Mental Health starts the deinstitutionalization process

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

Marie Balter returns as an administrator & chief hospital spokeswoman

The State decides to close Danvers State Hospital

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

The campus was abandoned

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

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

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

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

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