The hospital was opened in 1928 to treat neuropsychiatric patients, but now provides a wider array of medical services.

Through the efforts of Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers, the center was expanded to offer services to women in 1947; her role led to the center being renamed in her honor by President Jimmy Carter.

West of that is the former Kitchen and Dining Hall of 1928, which now houses offices and storage space.

Other buildings of the complex are located primarily north and south of this grouping, and are smaller in scale.

[1] The district includes the main hospital buildings, as well as residential housing, utility and maintenance buildings, most of which were built no later than 1947, and some of which date to 1928, the earliest period of the facility's construction.