St. Luke's Hospital Nominated For Historic Designation

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — A longtime Morningside Heights medical instutution has been nominated for designation on the National Register of Historic Places, the state Board for Historic Preservation announced this month.

St. Luke's hospital, which takes up two entire city blocks between Amsterdam and Morningside avenues between West 113th and 114th streets, serves as a good example of the evolution of medical services in urban environments like New York City, according to the state board. The building was first built in 1896 and was expanded upon until the late 20th century.

St. Luke's was originally designed by the architect Ernest Flagg, who created a master plan for the hospital that called for 12 separate pavillions to be connected by open-air pathways to prevent hte spread of germs. Today, the hospital is made up of 11 distinct pavillions — seven designed by Flagg in the French Renaissance Revival style and the remaining four in designs that stray from Flagg's plan.

The hospital is one of 17 state sites that was nominated for the historic designation. Other New York City sites include the East Harlem Historic District, the George Washington Hotel and two Brooklyn apartment buildings known as "Alku" AND "Alku Toinen" that are remnants of Sunset Park's "Finntown."

"The State and National Registers listing is a key step forward on the path to protecting and revitalizing these landmarks. Preserving and revitalizing our historic places helps lift local economies, instill community pride, encourage smart growth, and boost tourism," Erik Kulleseid, Acting Commissioner of the state office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said in a statement.

Unlike a city landmark designation, the National Register is largely a ceremonial honor. St. Luke's hospital will still be able to redevelop its campus as it sees fit (except for two previously landmarked pavillions). The hospital will also be able to apply for preservation assistance grants and special tax credits with placement on the National Register.