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THE BROAD STREET HOSPITAL AND THE EASTERN HOTEL.
Near the heart of the financial district and counted a distinct part of it is the Broad Street Hospital, a stone's throw from the imposing building of the Seaman's Institute. This institution overlooks the East River and its rapid growth has been marvelous. Starting as a small receiving hospital in 1914, it had its own building only two years later. Its extended service now compels the construction of additional units and by 1920 it will occupy an imposing edifice, second only to Bellevue Hospital. Although most of its cases come from the financial district, there are a great many from along the waterfront, so that the financier and the longshoreman are treated side by side.
The first of these new units is to be dedicated to Colonel Theodore Roosevelt; the last to the late Mr. Harry S. Harkness. The first, or original, unit has been named after Herbert Barber, brother of James Barber, of whom Dr. A. J. Barber Savage, superintendent, recently wrote, in dedicating a treatise on group medicine:
"This work is respectfully inscribed as a token of affectionate esteem and in acknowledgment of that generous financial and moral support prompted by his interest in medical science and that far-sighted vision which made possible the Broad Street Hospital."
In the matter of its sponsors the Broad Street Hospital is exceedingly fortunate. While the completed list is not yet ready for publication, it is certain that the future board of governors will contain the names of many men celebrated in the world of finance and production. That Henry L. Doherty, Charles E. Danforth, Elisha Walker, James Barber, Oakley Wood, Dr. William H. Dieffenbach, William Hamlin Childs, Col. Walter Scott, Edward L. Wemple, George C. Luebbers, Econ. Charles Strauss, Julien Stevens Ulman, and Dr. Robert T. Morris are already, and have been, associated with the Broad Street Hospital is suggestive of the list Is it will appear when finished. No hospital in this respect will be so richly endowed.
The Eastern Hotel, a block from the Seaman's Institute, is one of our oldest buildings and the oldest hotel in town. The beams are of solid mahogany, brought from South America as ballast. In former years it was a notable hostelry and entertained Daniel Webster, Robert Fulton, Jenny Lind, Commodore Vanderbilt and other notables.
There are quite a 'few interesting things still to be seen in this neighborhood, but I have covered the most important. In front of the building at the corner of South William and Beaver Streets are four ancient marble columns brought from Pompeii by the late Lorenzo Delmonico in 1840, whose downtown restaurant occupied this building. At No. 13 South William Street is a house built in imitation of the old Dutch style. This is the real estate office of the Amos R. Eno Estate, whose father built the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
At 51 Whitehall Street is a tablet to mark the old Whitehall Ferry, where Washington sailed for Mt. Vernon after taking leave of his officers at Fraunces' Tavern, as already described. Whitehall Street was named after Stuyvesant's town house "White Hall," which stood near the corner of Pearl and Whitehall Streets. At 23 another tablet marks the site of the home of the most noted preacher in the early days of the Dutch Church, Dominic Bogardus. His wife, Anneke Jans, owned the celebrated farm which ultimately became the property of Trinity Church. One of Anneke's sisters was not quite competent mentally, and was not present at the time the will was read disposing of the farm to Trinity Church. It is on this alleged circumstance that all this litigation against Trinity arose.
For nearly a century unscrupulous lawyers have fattened on the credulity of the heirs of Anneke Jans by claiming that this fact rendered the will null and void. The prospect of owning a couple of miles of property in the heart of New York is very alluring and no wonder the poor wretches succumbed to the temptation. Notwithstanding that a law has been passed by the State of New York to prohibit any further suits being brought against Trinity on this, or any other ground so far as their property is concerned, the nuisance has not vet wholly abated.
We have now quite thoroughly explored the financial district and will continue our trip up Broadway to the City Hall.
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