Tour South 8: Strecker Lab

Situated on the eastern end of Southpoint Park sits Strecker Lab, once part of the City Hospital complex, now the last remnant. Opened in 1892 and designed by English Architect Frederick Clarke Withers (the same Withers who designed the Chapel of the Good Shepherd on Main Street) and Walter Dickson, Strecker is named for the Strecker family, who funded the construction of the original two story building.

In 1905, a third floor addition was designed by William Flanagan. Designed in the Romanesque revival style, the laboratory was the first in the United States devoted to pathological and bacteriological research. The first floor contained an examination room, and autopsy room and a morgue (the Smallpox Hospital doesn't look so creepy now, does it?). The top two floors were devoted to research and housed a library and a museum, that we're assuming was a very creepy one.

In 1907, the laboratory became part of the Russell Sage Institute of Technology, which was later absorbed by Rockefeller University. When the university moved, the lab continued work until the 1950s, when, like Charity and Smallpox Hospitals, it was abandoned in 1958.

The lab was not selected by Georgio Cavaglieri to be one of buildings to be preserved in 1970s, but it was made a New York City Landmark in 1976. However, Strecker remained in ruin, until 1999, when the Metropolitan Transit Authority began restoring the building to house the operations of the 53rd Street subway vent. As you can see, the exterior of Strecker has been beautifully restored, although its interior has been gutted. Talk about ironic.

Check out the designation report from Strecker to see how equally fantastic and creepy the laboratory really is.

South Tour Stop 8: Strecker Lab

Strecker Memorial Laboratory