Established in 1953, it is now a satellite location of the VA Boston Healthcare System, providing a variety of comprehensive and specialized care services.

Ground was broken in 1950, and the hospital opened in 1953 on land purchased by the city and given to the federal government.

Included on this property was the Howard Home for Aged Men, an elder care facility established in 1924.

At the time of its completion it was the largest and most expensive VA facility in the country, and it became one of the city's major employers.

It has more than 20 buildings arranged on a network of internal roads, most of which date to the first decade of the hospital's operation.