Historic postcard of Danvers State Hospital (Don Rittner)

Dear Preservation 911,

Since 1875, Danvers State Hospital has been sitting on top of Hawthorne Hill in the town of Danvers, Mass., 20 minutes north of Boston. It has been closed for more than 25 years, and today the state is closer then it has ever been to selling it.

In April, Archstone Properties, the developer the state chose for the site, surprised members of the local citizen's advisory committee with a plan to demolish two-thirds of the Gothic Kirkbride building. That was one-third less than the company told committee members it could save when they recommended it as the developer for the site.

Under the plan, four of six wings, or 220,000 square feet of the 310,000-square-foot Kirkbride, would be taken down. The remainder of the building—the central tower and the adjacent wings—would be gutted and rehabbed as housing for people 55 and older. Seventeen new apartment buildings will be constructed around the remainder of Kirkbride.

Since Archstone released this master plan, the committee, whose power is mostly limited to making recommendations to the state, has tried to negotiate to retain more of the building. But Archstone has remained firm in its assertion that it would cost too much to save more of the Kirkbride because it has deteriorated.

Danvers State Hospital must be saved, and we need support for our demand that this Gothic and historic piece of art remain in one piece. For more information on Danvers, including photos, history, and facts, please visit the Danvers State Hospital Web site.

Sincerely,

John G.
Danvers, Mass.

E-mail the writer with advice, comments, or commiseration.

Got a 911 in your town? Send us an e-mail.

Preservation 911 is a message board open to all readers. While National Trust staff will respond to the extent feasible, this will not be possible in all cases. We encourage other readers involved in state or local preservation to respond with advice or assistance. If you'd like to contact either a regional office of the National Trust, a statewide or local nonprofit organization, or your state's historic preservation office, click here for a state-by-state list.

The National Trust's regional and field offices bring the programs and tools of the Trust to communities across the country. They offer technical assistance through consultations and field visits and financial help through small grants. They hold educational programs for professional preservationists and work to foster policies that help historic places. They also provide leadership on issues that concern entire regions, such as saving historic schools, fighting sprawl, and revitalizing cities.