The main structure, a red brick edifice, was located on land near Agnew's Village, which later became part of Santa Clara.

By the early twentieth century, Agnews boasted the largest institutional population in the South San Francisco Bay area, and was served by its own train station which stood at the west end of Palm Drive across Lafayette Street.

Agnews then became infamous as the site of the Santa Clara Valley's greatest loss of life resulting from the quake.

The Daily Palo Alto reported: "The position of the people in Agnews is critical; a number of insane persons having escaped from the demolished asylum, are running at random about the country."

Some objected to the arranged sale of this prime public land to a profitable corporation at the peak of a local economic and real-estate boom, while others valued the presence of a prominent high-tech employer.

In addition to the Sun deal, the Rivermark planned community was allocated 152 acres (62 ha) for a variety of residential, retail, public school, and open space uses.

The city park is yet to be built as the former hospital still stands with demolition yet to start; however, the three churches that sat on the same site have been demolished.

The 1984 film Birdy by director Alan Parker used the center for the facility where the title character played by Matthew Modine is incarcerated.

[8] The punk rock band Green Day recorded the music video for its 1994 song "Basket Case" at Agnews.