480-Herkimer-1.jpg

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address: 480 Herkimer Street, between Albany and Troy
Name: Former St. John’s Episcopal Hospital and Chapel, now part of Interfaith Hospital
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: 1926-27
Architectural Style: Hospital Gothic (I made that one up)
Architects: James M. Hewlett
Landmarked: No

Why chosen: Before there was an Interfaith Hospital, there was St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, a mainstay of the Bedford and Stuyvesant communities since the Charitable Hospital of 1851 became St. John’s in 1857. Bedford, including then much of what we now call Crown Heights, has had a long history of charitable institutions, and this general area also held a large orphan asylum, as well as other charities. The cornerstones for these buildings were laid in 1926, after a million dollar plus fundraising campaign by the Episcopal Church. The architect for the project seems to be James M. Hewlett, of the firm Lord & Hewlett, co-designers of the Masonic Temple in Fort Greene. Hewlett, scion of a wealthy Long Island family (Hewlett, LI is named for them) was a very well-known painter and muralist, as well as architect. He was extremely talented and prolific, and among his other works are the Brooklyn Hospital, and many murals for banks and public buildings. The buildings here are rather somber and serious, which befits a hospital, but must have been a bit depressing. St. John’s went through bad financial straits in the 1970’s, like most urban hospitals, and merged with the Jewish Hospital in 1982, with Interfaith Hospital the result. Today, Interfaith’s amazingly awful behemoth of a tower rises over the old St. John’s buildings, making them look positively cheery in comparison.

480-Herkimer-2.jpg

480-Herkimer-3.jpg


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. I was born in this hospital, in 1961. I always wondered exactly where it was, and what it looked like. Thank you so much for providing the history and the photos! It’s a beautiful place to me.

  2. 2->Big Jugs:

    80~90% of your posting are always negative; I also see your OCD about Norman Oder hasn’t diminished either, you must have a secret crush on him….. How involved are you in CB8? Your opinion really counts when you attend the CB8 housing meetings or other forums when they were asking for input… opining mostly by posting in blogs will not help the community ‘you may care about’ improve…..

    Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy, Vandy,

1 2