MacDougall Hall
Location
42.38993, -71.21104History
MacDougall Hall opened in 1898 as the "Northwest Building," and functioned as a dormitory for adult female patients. This and other dormitories being erected at this time signify the detailed classification of patients at Fernald based on age and mental ability. It was later named after Sarah MacDougall, a matron of the Farm House in the pre-World War I period. The building was heavily renovated to become public housing, along with Tarbell Hall, before permanently closing.
Architectural Description
Much like Dolan Hall, these nearly identical dormitories show how little building plans and ornamentation changed during the school's first twenty years. Designed by Preston, both are two-story, red-brick buildings of rectangular plan rising from fieldstone foundations to slate hip roofs. They are trimmed with corbelled cornices, sandstone lintels and sills, and burnt headers arranged in a variety of patterns. Both also have entries located in slightly projecting central pavilions and protected by hip roof porches. The MacDougall entry is surmounted by a triple-arched window.
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MacDougall Hall
View of MacDougall Hall, seen from the lawn that was later used as a playground. The building opened in 1898 as a dormitory for middle-aged girls at the institution. Originally known as Northwest Building, it was later named after Sarah MacDougall.