Monson Developmental Center - Buckley Hall

A contributing property in the Monson Developmental Center, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This 671-acre state institutional campus in the Quaboag River valley near Palmer illustrates more than a century of Massachusetts public care for dependent populations. First developed as a state almshouse in 1852–1854, it became the State Primary School in 1866 and then the Massachusetts Hospital for Epileptics in 1895, later evolving into the Monson Developmental Center. Spread through a narrow valley chosen for its water, rail access and farmland, the campus is significant (period of significance 1854–1940) for its role in the evolution of state welfare and medical institutions, and its buildings—many red-brick Colonial Revival and Craftsman-style patient cottages and staff residences from around 1900 to 1930—reflect the changing philosophies of institutional care.

Monson Developmental Center - Buckley Hall is a landmark in Monson, Hampden County. It is one of 3,654 landmarks documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.

The site sits at 42.1423, -72.3264 near Monson. The nearest cataloged historic site is Monson Developmental Center - Wayside Dormitory (landmark), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Monson Developmental Center - Concrete Block Shed, Monson Developmental Center - Ledges, and Monson Developmental Center - Recreation Pavilion.

This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.