In 1909 the city of Buffalo New York authorized to build and run a hospital in the treatment and cure of tuberculosis. James Nobel Adams the Mayor of Buffalo at the time purchased 293 acres of land on the hill side in the small town of Perrysburg with his own money. He knew this would be the perfect place to build the new TB hospital due to its iconic scenery, distance from Buffalo, natural air flow and light. Architect John Hopper Coxhead designed the hospital in a Neo-Classical/Southern Plantation style. Completion and opening of the new TB Hospital was on November 12, 1912. Named after the Mayor J.N. Adams Memorial Hospital was built with a general Administration building in the middle, a wing one each side for male and female patients and a rotunda dining hall in the back for patient use. The hospital was built to accommodate 140 patients at the time. Light being an important part of treatment, the dining hall dome was to showcase light and beauty to help its patients from the long recovery of TB. Mayor Adams bought and donated the iconic dome to the hospital from the Temple of Music Auditorium. 

 

In the 1920s with tuberculosis still on the rise, additional wings were added to each side of main complex making the hospital bed count to 420. With the additions a new kitchen was built to support that growing number as well with a new power plant, staff housing and theater to keep the patients entertain. 

 

In 1948 Dr. Horace LoGrasso retired from J.N. Adams as head doctor and in doing so, the City of Buffalo turned over the hospital to the State of New York. It would now be one of seven TB hospitals run by the State. 

 

With the decline of Tuberculosis in 1960 the State of New York decided to shut down the tuberculosis hospital for a few months and reopened as a State Mental Hygiene facility until West Seneca State School opened but with so many patients still needing assistance they hospital remained open.

 

In 1972, the hospital became independent and changed its named to the J.N. Adams Developmental Center. It served the disable for another 23 years until 1995 when all patients were transfers to local or State facilities in New York after closing.