Clocktower Building

Clocktower Building. Agnews State Hospital. Erected 1908 , George Sellon, State Architect in collaboration with , Dr. Leonard Stocking, Hospital Superintendent (1904-1931), The Clocktower’s prominence as the terminus of Palm Drive conveyed the importance of treatment at the new hospital. With its arched windows, clay tile roof, buttressed walls and textured stucco exterior, this Mediterranean Revival style landmark was visible from both the hospital grounds and the surrounding community., Centered among the treatment and residential buildings, the Clocktower housed a receiving room for patients, a reception room for visitors, laboratories, treatment rooms, and offices. The Clocktower’s laboratory and therapy facilities played a central role in Dr. Leonard Stocking’s belief that a hospital should treat rather than simply confine patients. The treatment techniques administered here, such as hydrotherapy and electro-shock therapy, were among the most advanced for their time. The Agnews State Hospital historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.