In 2002, Dorchester House completed a 2-year project in which the existing health center was completely renovated.
The project expanded what had been a 2-story health center with 19 exam rooms into a 3-story, modern facility with nearly 40 clinical exam rooms. This increase in space allowed for new and additional services to be offered, including mammography, an expanded optical service where patients can be fitted for frames and contacts and a new dental suite with 7 chairs.
A 25,000 square foot addition was also added to the front of the building on Dorchester Avenue. The new addition features broad expanses of windows and store front accessibility. The interior of the new addition is designed to be bright and accessible.
The 3-story atrium, with its welcoming banners in 7 languages and corner café invites people to sit and relax. Waiting rooms are awash with natural light and provide comfortable seating.
Where Dorchester House Began
The Dorchester House was originally built as a boy’s institution, with quarters at 7 Gordon Place in Fields Corner. Later, the programs were expanded to include activities for all ages and both sexes. As a settlement house, we were widely known during the first 20 years as “Gordon House.”
In November 1909, the institution was incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the “Dorchester House” for the purpose of industrial, educational and charitable work as well as for the establishment and maintenance of reading rooms, library and social meetings. Some of the interesting activities in our early history included baby clinics, cane seating, shoe repairing, savings and gardening classes.
On January 31, 1942, Dorchester House moved to 1353 Dorchester Avenue. Here, in a populous district, nearly two acres of land bordering Ellet Street, Dorchester Avenue and Leedsville Street were acquired, and a large building was renovated for our permanent home.
In 1974, on this same site, the new Dorchester House Multi-Service Center was built, with a comprehensive health center, a pre-school/day care center and a community center. The building has enabled us to increase both the scope and quantity of our service to the community.
The demand for health services was so great that in 1978 we added a second floor, which allowed us to expand our medical and mental health services, as well as add a dental program.
