National Register of Historic Places

Strecker Memorial Laboratory

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
March 16, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72000886

About this property

Strecker Memorial Laboratory is a historic building at Southpoint Park on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Built in 1892 to serve as a laboratory for City Hospital, it was "the first institution in the nation for pathological and bacteriological research". The project was funded by the Strecker family. The building was designed by architects Frederick Clarke Withers and Walter Dickson in the Romanesque Revival style with large arched windows to provide plenty of natural lighting and ventilation. On the first floor were an autopsy room and an office, while the floor above housed laboratories where specimens were examined. The cellar was used as a mortuary and for storage. Administrative support was provided by the nearby City Hospital. An additional storey was later built, providing room for the examination of histological samples, a scientific library and a pathology museum. In 1907, the Russell Sage Institute of Pathology took over the running of the lab. In time, this became associated with the Rockefeller University, and work continued at the laboratory until it closed in the 1950s, after which it fell into disrepair. In 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1976 it was designated a New York City landmark. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority purchased the building in the late 1990s to house a power conversion substation for the subway trains that run through the 53rd Street Tunnel underneath Roosevelt Island. The MTA restored the building's exterior, and the substation has been active since 2000.

Location

New York, New York County, New York
40.75259, -73.95820

Categories

SCIENCEARCHITECTURE
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

City Hospital
Early Republic
0 mi
Smallpox Hospital
Industrial
0.1 mi
Queensboro Bridge
Industrial
0.4 mi
Public School 35
Industrial
0.4 mi
Sutton Place Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kip's Bay
1776Revolutionary War
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Strecker Memorial Laboratory listed on the National Register?

Strecker Memorial Laboratory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Strecker Memorial Laboratory?

Strecker Memorial Laboratory is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Strecker Memorial Laboratory?

The period of significance for Strecker Memorial Laboratory is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Strecker Memorial Laboratory?

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