National Historic Landmark

Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District

New York, Richmond County, New York
Listed
March 16, 1972
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
72000909

About this property

Snug Harbor is an 83-acre (34 ha) campus containing more than two dozen architecturally significant buildings set along the Kill Van Kull on the North Shore of Staten Island in New York City, New York, US. It functioned as Sailors' Snug Harbor, a retirement home for sailors, during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since 1976, the buildings and grounds have been managed by Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden as a cultural center complex and used by various cultural and arts organizations. The entire complex is a National Historic Landmark district, and several structures are New York City designated landmarks. Captain Robert Richard Randall bequeathed funds and land for a sailors' home upon his 1801 death. Fights over his will delayed the complex's development and forced its trustees to find a new site, where building C, the first structure at Snug Harbor, opened in 1833. Additional structures were built on the grounds in later years. Following a prolonged preservation dispute and several redevelopment proposals in the 1960s and 1970s, the institution moved to North Carolina. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, has gradually renovated the grounds and many buildings over the years. The buildings at Snug Harbor are designed in the Greek Revival, Beaux Arts, Italianate, and Victorian styles. Among those are buildings A–E, five interlocking Greek Revival structures known as Temple Row. The buildings are set in extensively landscaped grounds, surrounded by a cast iron fence. The grounds also include other structures such as a chapel and the Music Hall, along with the 55-acre (22 ha) Staten Island Botanical Garden. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center operates some of its own facilities and programs, including the botanical garden, the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, and the Music Hall. Other space is leased to institutions such as the Staten Island Children's Museum and the Staten Island Museum.

Location

New York, Richmond County, New York
40.64326, -74.10232

Categories

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Neville House
Colonial
0.2 mi
New Brighton Village Hall
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0.4 mi
Elliott, Dr. Samuel MacKenzie, House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Kreuzer-Pelton House
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0.5 mi
Christ Church New Brighton (Episcopal)
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District listed on the National Register?

Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District?

Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District?

The period of significance for Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Sailors' Snug Harbor National Register District?

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