Agnews Developmental Center
Encyclopedia
Agnews Developmental Center is a psychiatric and medical care facility, now located in San Jose, California
.
In 1885, the center, originally known as "The Great Asylum for the Insane", was established as a facility for the care of the mentally ill. The main structure, a red brick edifice, was located on land near Agnew's Village
, which later became part of Santa Clara
.
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
the center became infamous as the site of the Santa Clara Valley
's greatest loss of life resulting from the quake. The Daily Palo Alto reported: "The position of the people in Agnews is critical; a number of insane persons having escaped from the demolished asylum, are running at random about the country." 117 patients and staff were killed and buried in mass graves on the site. The main building and some others were irreparably damaged.
Following this disaster, Agnews was rebuilt in the Mediterranean Revival architecture styles of Mission Revival
—Spanish Colonial Revival, in a layout resembling a college campus
of two-story buildings. It re-opened circa 1911 as Agnews State Mental Hospital. The facility was a small self-contained town, including a multitude of construction trade "shops", a farm which raised pigs and vegetable crops, a steam generating power plant for heating the buildings by steam, and even a fire department.
At the time, it boasted the largest population in the South San Francisco Bay area, and was served by its own train station which stood at the west end of Palm Drive across Lafayette Street; the station building remained until vandalism and fire precipitated its demolition in the 1990s.
In 1926, Agnews was expanded to include a second campus about 2 miles (3 km) to the east in San Jose.
Individuals with developmental disabilities were first admitted to a special rehabilitation program in 1965. Programs for the mentally ill were discontinued in 1972. Since then, the center has been used exclusively for the care and treatment of persons with developmental disabilities.
The original west campus was closed in 1998 as part of a plan to reduce and eventually close the center.
When the west campus closed, the use of the land was the subject of local controversy. In April 1997, it was announced the state would sell an 82.5 acres (33.4 ha) parcel of the campus 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 at 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 clock tower, 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 was allocated 152 acres (61.5 ha) for a variety of residential, retail, public school, and open space uses.
The Agnews site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
(under the name "Agnews Insane Asylum") on August 13, 1997.
Sun was acquired by Oracle Corporation
in 2010; the campus continues to be used as an Oracle R&D facility and conference center.
recorded the music video for their 1994 song "Basket Case
" at Agnews.
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
In 1885, the center, originally known as "The Great Asylum for the Insane", was established as a facility for the care of the mentally ill. The main structure, a red brick edifice, was located on land near Agnew's Village
Agnew's Village, California
Agnew's Village, California was a small unincorporated village in what is now Santa Clara, California. It was named for Abram Agnew, a Santa Clara Valley pioneer from Ohio who settled there around 1873...
, which later became part of Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
.
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
the center became infamous as the site of the Santa Clara Valley
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County and its county seat, San José, are in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its high concentration...
's greatest loss of life resulting from the quake. The Daily Palo Alto reported: "The position of the people in Agnews is critical; a number of insane persons having escaped from the demolished asylum, are running at random about the country." 117 patients and staff were killed and buried in mass graves on the site. The main building and some others were irreparably damaged.
Following this disaster, Agnews was rebuilt in the Mediterranean Revival architecture styles of Mission Revival
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
—Spanish Colonial Revival, in a layout resembling a college campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of two-story buildings. It re-opened circa 1911 as Agnews State Mental Hospital. The facility was a small self-contained town, including a multitude of construction trade "shops", a farm which raised pigs and vegetable crops, a steam generating power plant for heating the buildings by steam, and even a fire department.
At the time, it boasted the largest population in the South San Francisco Bay area, and was served by its own train station which stood at the west end of Palm Drive across Lafayette Street; the station building remained until vandalism and fire precipitated its demolition in the 1990s.
In 1926, Agnews was expanded to include a second campus about 2 miles (3 km) to the east in San Jose.
Individuals with developmental disabilities were first admitted to a special rehabilitation program in 1965. Programs for the mentally ill were discontinued in 1972. Since then, the center has been used exclusively for the care and treatment of persons with developmental disabilities.
The original west campus was closed in 1998 as part of a plan to reduce and eventually close the center.
Re-purposing of the land
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
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 at 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 clock tower, 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
Rivermark of Santa Clara
Rivermark of Santa Clara is a master planned community in Santa Clara, California built on a parcel formerly owned by the State of California and previously used by Agnews Developmental Center. The community comprises retail space, parks, school, apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and houses...
master planned community was allocated 152 acres (61.5 ha) for a variety of residential, retail, public school, and open space uses.
The Agnews site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(under the name "Agnews Insane Asylum") on August 13, 1997.
Sun was acquired by Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
in 2010; the campus continues to be used as an Oracle R&D facility and conference center.
In popular media
The punk rock band Green DayGreen Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
recorded the music video for their 1994 song "Basket Case
Basket Case (song)
"Basket Case" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their third album, Dookie. The song spent five weeks at the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart.Rolling Stone Readers ranked it No...
" at Agnews.
External links
- California Department of Developmental Services
- Article covering land re-use controversy
- Agnews Insane Asylum, U.S. National Park Service
- New Campus, New Home, a video on the construction of the Sun Microsystems campus and preservation of the Agnews buildings
- Agnews Historical Cemetery at Find-A-Grave