Bedford Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District
Also known as: Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center, BED.D; Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
Why it's listed
Bedford's veterans hospital campus, at 200 Springs Road, opened in 1928 as a neuropsychiatric facility and still provides health care to veterans. The historic district covers about 177 acres and contains 69 resources, of which 49 contributed to its 1927-1950 period of significance. The Main (Infirmary) Building of 1928 is the focal point, with a pedimented gable, brick quoins, pilasters and a modillion cornice. Other buildings are brick with Colonial Revival and Classical Revival details, and the amount of ornament follows each building's public role. Patient wards, a recreation building, a kitchen and dining hall, staff quarters and maintenance buildings are grouped by function around curving drives and a central courtyard. The site was large because patients did farm work as occupational therapy. Later additions from 1959 to 1962 are modern in design and noncontributing. The district was recognized as an excellent example of a Period II neuropsychiatric veterans hospital, with statewide significance.
Significance in brief: The district is described as an excellent example of a Period II neuropsychiatric Second Generation Veterans Hospital, a sub-type defined in a multiple property documentation form. It keeps its original campus layout, brick Colonial Revival and Classical Revival buildings, and the large acreage once used for farming as occupational therapy. The form recommends significance at the statewide level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 12000977, listed November 28, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 200 Springs Rd., Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | November 28, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000977 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1927-1950 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals / Colonial Revival / Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Health/Medicine, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The hospital continues to serve its original mission of providing health care to veterans. Several former barracks are used for storage, and the golf course buildings are used by Hanscom Air Force Base. |
| Acreage | 177 |
| Coordinates | 42.50382, -71.27104 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 12000977.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16983969
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.