The creation of an alcohol abuse treatment facility was authorized by state legislation in 1889, and the Foxborough campus was developed in the 1890s.

Problems with the facility, including its location (whose access to roads and railroads gave easy access to escaping inmates), prompted the state to move the substance abuse facility in 1914 to a new campus in Norfolk.

[3] Redevelopment of the hospital property began in 2005, with one of the largest buildings being torn down to make way for a shopping plaza.

As of mid-2009, the plaza is complete, the main building has been transformed into luxury condominiums, and other structures have been renovated and made into single and multiple-family housing.

However, many buildings were razed to make way for homes or open land, and a few still remain standing and unused, such as the former hospital auditorium.