New-York tribune., 1911-01-11
n. Y. HOSPITAL BUYS S|TEI
Fine Buildings To Be Erected in
1912 on Hudson River Block.
LAND WORTH OVER MILLION
Experts Say Famous Institution
Has Best Spot in All City
for It's Purposes.

for It's Purposes.
The New York Hospital has bought as
site for new home for itself the entire
block bounded by 9th and 55th streets and
Eleventh and Twelfth avenues from vari-
Gus persons. On this block, the southerly
side of which fronts on De Witt Clinton
Park. will be put up a group of buildings
from plans by McKim Mead & White
Ground for the proposed structures will
not be broken. 1t is said. until May /. 1912,
by which time the board Of governors of
the institution are expected 10 have per-
fected their plans for the improvement Of
their new property. In the mean time the
tenants OF the premises will not be dis
turbed
According to realty experts, better site
for the carrying out OF this hospital project
within the borders Of the greater city
could not be found. The land is high and
Is bounded on the south by a park of two
full city blocks, on the west by the Hudson
River, and has an abundance OF light and
air. moreover, on its easterly and north
erly frontages. Not the least TO be consid-
cred either is the fact that II is almost
constantly swept by pure. cooling breezes
from the Hudson.
When the location Of the property was
first considered 1t was thought the noise
made by the freight trains of the New
York Central Railroad might seriously af-
feet the suitableness Of the land for hos
pital use. The tracks are at the Elev-
enth avenue end Of the block BY placing
a pathological building laundry and several
M her CT Of he rI,
end Of the premises, however, this seem
ing flaw in the site for the purposes for
which 1t was desired will not only be
lessened. but virtually obliterated.
Dimensions Of the Block.
Among the sellers of the property were
the Sicilian Asphalt Company, Ruth Ann
Wallace. John Adam Schurer, Samuel
Greenberg. Richard II. Handley. Charles
Umhey and Robert Thedford The block
fronts @a1O feet both on Eleventh and
Twelfth avenues and 500 feet in 5ith and
55th streets.
1t is worth considerably more than s1,o00-
900, the assessed valuation being about s77O-
600. Douglas Robinson, Charles S. Brown
& Co. negotiated the sale
The proposed group Of buildings WILL be
the equal OF any set Of similar structures
In the city.
Within the last twelve months, owing
to changes in the physical. characteristics
of various residential and business districts
Of Manhattan, and TO some other causes.
many charitable institutions have bought
land on which TO erect new homes for
themselves. The New York Polytechnic Hos
pital is going TO move from 94th street and
Third avenue to the northerly side of Goth
street. between Eighth and Ninth avenues,
where one of the finest buildings for hos
pital work is now almost ready for use.
Just north Of the main building Of the
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research,
at 9th street and the East River, the Pres
byterian Hospital bought an entire block.
For years the New York Hospital has oc
cupied large plot just west Of Fifth ave-
nue., extending from 10th to 18th street. Its
site there is part of the old farms OF the
Springler and Van Beuren families. In the
last few years this section Of the city has
been invaded by speculative builders. who
have put up tall loft structures A short
distance from this old home of the insti-
tuition are a score or more of these modern
mercantile skyscrapers, and similar build
ing operations are likely to be carried out
throughout the district until It is almost
entirely covered with up-to-date retail
business and manufacturing structures.
Extensive Work of Hospital.
In addition TO the hospital I'm 18th street
the institution owns and maintains the
House of Relief, in Hudson street and the
Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane and
the Convalescent Cottages. at White Plains
The number Of patients treated I'm its vari-
Gus wards and departments is between
sixty thousand and seventy thousand a
year, while the ambulance department
alone responds to nearly nine thousand
calls annually.
II was on January 3, III, that the So
ciety Of the New York Hospital was char
tered by royal authority Of King George
III. Two years later It bought five acres
Of ground, bounded by Broadway, Church,
Worth and Duane streets, for the erection
OF its first home. The foundation stone was
laid on July q. 1773. on February 2S, IT'S,
when the building was almost ready TO re-
ceive patients It was nearly destroyed by
fire
BY this fire the society lost about 1900.
1t looked for a time as If the hospital
project would have 10 he abandoned. The
Legislature. however, came to the rescue
Of the institution by granting 1900 for re-
building the house. But again misfortune
intervened. the completion Of the building
being put off by the War for Independence
The uncompleted structure was occupied
by British and Hessian soldiers for many
months. 1t was not until January 3, 1871,
that the society was able TO open the
doors Of its house to patients. From the
beginning the treatment of patients suffer-
ing from mental disorders became an inn
pOrtant part OF the hospital work In 1916
il erected at Hath street and Broadway,
then six miles from the heart OF the city.
the Bloomingdale Asylum for caring for
persons mentally afflicted In 1891 this
asylum was moved TO White Plains. The
18th street buildings were opened in 1871.
George l.. Rives is president Of the So
ciety, Henry W. Crane secretary and Ed
ward w. Sheldon treasurer. DR.. Thomas
Howell is superintendent.
ROBINS SISTER OUT ON BAIL