Programs and institutions for the mentally ill and retarded of Massachusetts were among the responsibilities successively of the Board of State Charities (St 1863, c 240), the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (St 1879, c 291), and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (St 1886, c 101). They were then the sole responsibility successively of the State Board of Insanity (St 1898, c 433), the Massachusetts Commission on Mental Diseases (St 1916, c 285), and the Dept. of Mental Diseases (St 1919, c 350, ss 79-81), renamed the Dept. of Mental Health (St 1938, c 486)
From the description of Mental health facility blueprints and plans (engineering and maintenance scheduled item), 1899-1965. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79021279
