Agnews Developmental Center

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Agnews Developmental Center is a psychiatric and medical care facility in San Jose, California.

Originally known as Agnews State Mental Hospital, the center was established in 1885 as a facility for the care of the mentally ill. Individuals with developmental disabilities were first admitted to a special habilitation program activated in 1965. Programs for the mentally ill were discontinued in 1972, and the center has been utilized exclusively for the care and treatment of persons with developmental disabilities since that time.

The center was originally located on land near the village of Agnews, which later became part of Santa Clara. In 1926 the center was expanded to include a second campus a short distance to the east in San Jose. The original west campus was closed in 1998 as part of a plan to reduce and eventually close the center.

During its heyday the center was renowned for progressive and compassionate treatment techniques for the mentally ill. Patients had the amenities of a small town within the center, including shops and a farm, which would provide both food and vocation to the patients.

During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake the center became infamous as the site of the San Jose area's greatest loss of life resulting from the quake. 117 patients and staff were killed and most of the buildings were irreparably damaged.

Repurposing of the land

Aerial photograph of the Sun campus at Agnews

When the west campus closed, the use of the land was the subject of local controversy. The state sold a large parcel to Sun Microsystems for use as its corporate headquarters and R&D campus. Some objected to the arranged sale of this prime public land to a profitable corporation in the peak of a local economic and real-estate boom, while others valued the presence of a prominent high-tech employer. Also at issue was the preservation of and public access to historic Agnews Developmental Center buildings. Sun arranged the restoration of four of the historic buildings (the auditorium, the clocktower, the superintendent's villa, and the administration building) and keeps some of the facilities available for public use. An outdoor exhibit open to the public displays information and photographs regarding the center and its history.

In addition to the Sun campus, the Rivermark master planned community allocated the land to a variety of residential, retail, public school, and open space uses.

The Agnews site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

External links

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