Agnews Historic Park in Santa Clara in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Administration Building
Agnews State Hospital
— Erected 1909 —
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023
1. Administration Building Marker
The Administration Building is an eclectic blend of architectural styles. Its smooth stucco walls with buttressed corners, semi-circular arched windows, brick detailing and red tile roof are typical of the Mediterranean Revival style. Exposed, notched rafters and wooden porches and balconies were influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement popular from the late 1800s to the first World War.
The Administration Building is significant as an integral component of the post-1906 earthquake reconstruction of Agnews State Hospital. Used primarily for education and research, it housed a general library, medical library, offices, records storage, a board room and overnight facilities for the Board of Managers.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1909.
Location. 37° 23.602′ N, 121° 57.287′ W. Marker is in Santa Clara, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in Agnews Historic Park. Marker is at the intersection of George Sellon Circle and Palm Drive, on the right when traveling west on George Sellon Circle. The plaque is mounted to a concrete foundation to the right of the front door. Touch for map.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Auditorium (within shouting distance of this marker); Early History of Agnews (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Superintendent's Residence (about 300 feet away); Life at Agnews: Change Over a Century (about 300 feet away); Agnews Today: The Legacy (about 300 feet away); Agnews: A Century of Service (about 300 feet away); Recent History of Agnews (about 300 feet away); Clocktower Building (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Santa Clara.
Also see . . .
1. Looking Back: Agnews State Hospital. San Jose Public Library
"The hospital is most famously known as the site of the greatest loss of life in Santa Clara County after the 1906 earthquake. Eleven officials and over one-hundred patients were crushed when the main treatment building collapsed. But the history of Agnews is more interesting than this grim memory."(Submitted on July 31, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
2. Agnews Insane Asylum. National Park Service
"The treatment of the insane in California dates from the earliest days of the Gold Rush. The first provisions for(Submitted on July 31, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)the insane were to lock them up with criminals in the ship Ephemia, purchased in 1849 by the City of San Francisco, and later to house them at the San Francisco marine hospital in 1850, used primarily for ailing seamen. In 1885 the Agnews Residential Facility was established by the California State Legislature as a neuropsychiatric institution for the care and treatment of the mentally ill."Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 20232. Administration Building and MarkerSmooth stucco walls.
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023
3. Administration Building
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, April 5, 2023
4. Administration Building
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, April 5, 2023
5. Agnews Campus Map
Credits. This page was last revised on July 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 52 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 31, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 5. submitted on April 14, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
