New York City Farm Colony-Seaview Hospital Historic District (Staten Island)
The early twentieth century buildings and grounds of the NYC Farm Colony, established as a poor farm, and Seaview Hospital, the largest tuberculosis hospital of its date in the country, face "demolition by neglect," an all-too-familiar threat to properties that have been abandoned and left to the ravages of time.
The New York City Farm Colony-Seaview Hospital Historic District became the first local historic district in Staten Island in 1985. The district consists of the buildings and grounds of two municipal institutions, constructed from 1905-1938, located on approximately 320 acres. The Farm Colony consists of a series of Colonial Revival dormitories and other structures built of local stone and designed by Renwick, Aspinwall & Owen. Later Colonial Revival brick buildings were designed by Charles B. Meyers. Seaview Hospital, founded in 1905, was designed by Raymond Almirall, who included elaborate terra cotta ornaments from Delft, Holland in many of his buildings.
The buildings in the Farm Colony-Seaview Historic District are architecturally and culturally significant as they reflect New York City's commitment to improving the quality of social and health-care services to the public. However, both facilities in the district have fallen into disuse and neglect. In August 1999, the New York City Department of Buildings issued an emergency order to demolish one building in the district. Many other buildings remain open to the elements and the city has no plans for their future reuse.
The district is also threatened by possible unsympathetic development of its significant open space. Forty acres of land within this district are for sale to private developers, as the city has issued a request for proposals to develop senior housing on the land.
A new use must be found for the buildings within the Farm Colony-Seaview Hospital Historic District. The Staten Island preservation community and the Historic Districts Council have been advocating for adaptive use on both sites for a number of years. The Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, a local environmental group, has instigated a law suit on behalf of the threatened open space. Despite the efforts of these capable organizations, the buildings of the New York City Farm Colony and Seaview Hospital continue to deteriorate.
Contact: Sandra Levine, Advocacy Consultant, Historic Districts Council, 212-614-9107