was once known as the Worcester Lunatic Asylum and the Bloomingdale Asylum. The hospital dates back to the 1830s. On January 12, 1833, the Worcester Insane Asylum opened. It was the first of its kind in the state. During the first year, 164 patients were received.

Rapid overcrowding soon prompted superintendent Merrick Bemis to advocate for the construction of a new facility. A large-scale hospital was subsequently designed according to the Kirkbride Plan and located on Belmont