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The Octagon (Roosevelt Island, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Octagon built in 1834 is an historic octagonal building located at 888 Main Street on Roosevelt Island
in New York City
. It originally served as the main entrance to the New York City Lunatic Asylum which opened in 1841. Designed by Alexander Jackson Davis
, the five-story rotunda was made of blue-gray stone that was quarried on the island. It is the last remnant of the hospital and after many years of decay and two fires was close to ruin. In 2006, a newly constructed residential building was built on the site, modeled on the original structure. It received LEED Silver status
from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2008.
Mistreatment of patients at the asylum was the center of the exposé by Nellie Bly
in her 1887 book Ten Days in a Mad-House
.
On March 16, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It originally served as the main entrance to the New York City Lunatic Asylum which opened in 1841. Designed by Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis , was one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, in particular his association with the Gothic Revival style....
, the five-story rotunda was made of blue-gray stone that was quarried on the island. It is the last remnant of the hospital and after many years of decay and two fires was close to ruin. In 2006, a newly constructed residential building was built on the site, modeled on the original structure. It received LEED Silver status
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2008.
Mistreatment of patients at the asylum was the center of the exposé by Nellie Bly
Nellie Bly
Nellie Bly was the pen name of American pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran. She remains notable for two feats: a record-breaking trip around the world in emulation of Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg, and an exposé in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from...
in her 1887 book Ten Days in a Mad-House
Ten Days in a Mad-House
Ten Days in a Mad-House is a book written by newspaper reporter Nellie Bly and published by Ian L. Munro in New York City in 1887. The book comprised Bly's reportage for the New York World while on an undercover assignment in which she feigned insanity to investigate reports of brutality and...
.
On March 16, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Further reading
- Gray, Christopher, "STREETSCAPES/The Octagon on Roosevelt Island; A Once-Grand 1839 Tower Is Given a New Life", The New York Times, January 23, 2005
- Vita, Tricia, "Restoring Roosevelt Island's Ruins: A developer has plans for a former asylum beside Manhattan", Preservation magazine, National Trust for Historic Preservation, April 25, 2003