Construction on the Women’s Group Quadrangle began in 1898, immediately following the completion of the Men’s Group, and continued until its completion in 1900. Like its counterpart, the Women’s Group was designed following the progressive “Cottage Plan” model, emphasizing light, space, and patient autonomy. Its design closely paralleled the Men’s Group, forming one of the earliest and largest dual-gender cottage-plan hospital complexes in the country.

Design and Construction

The Women’s Group was arranged in a quadrangle formation, with each structure connected by covered walkways that allowed staff and patients to move freely in all weather conditions. The complex consisted of an Administration Building and three residential cottages (A, B, and C). These buildings mirrored the Men’s Group closely in both layout and use, reflecting Springfield’s broader philosophy of humane and homelike institutional design. The differences between the two groups lie largely in the ornate details and moldings used to decorate them.

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Administration Building

The first floor of the Women’s Group Administration Building contained offices, a reception area, a mailroom, the patients’ dining hall and kitchen, a pharmacy, a switchboard room, and washrooms.
The second and third floors consisted of apartments and suites for staff, as well as their own dining halls, sitting rooms, and parlors — recognizing that many staff members lived on site for extended periods.

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Patient Cottages (A, B, and C)

The patient cottages were nearly identical to those in the Men’s Group. The first floors featured a reception area, lavatories and washrooms, and three large interconnected day halls richly furnished with tables, chairs, and ornate decorative details intended to promote comfort and leisure. Two single bedrooms were located at either end of each wing for patients unable to climb stairs.

The second floors held a changing room, lavatory, washroom, and one large open dormitory running the full length of the building. Like the first floor, two additional single rooms sat at either end of the wing. A third doorway led to a dedicated fire escape stairwell providing emergency egress directly outdoors.

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Expansion and Later Years

The Women’s Group expanded steadily through the early 20th century. Additional buildings were constructed as follows:

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• Warfield Cottage – 1905

• Cottage D – 1907

• Cottage E – 1911

• Cottage F – 1911

• Dining Hall & Auditorium – 1913

• Tuberculosis Cottage - 1915

• Cottage G – 1925

• Infirmary – 1929

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The Women’s Group remained in operation longer than the Men’s Group and Epileptic Colony, continuing into the 1990s, when most of its wards were closed simultaneously during major hospital-wide downsizing.

In the early 2000s, the entire cluster of buildings was sold to the Town of Sykesville, officially redesignated as the “Warfield Complex.” Three buildings — Cottage G, the Infirmary, and the Tuberculosis Cottage — were successfully restored and converted into mixed-use commercial spaces.

The remainder of the complex sat vacant for many years. In 2018, the town sold the still-vacant buildings to private developers. As of today, much of the complex awaits redevelopment, and a legal dispute is ongoing regarding ownership and future use, with the town seeking to reclaim the property due to disagreements about preservation plans and intended occupancy.