Eastman Dental Dispensary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Eastman Dental Dispensary
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 800 E. Main St., Rochester, New York |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Gordon, Madden & Kaelber |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Italian Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001708 |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 1983 |
The Eastman Dental Dispensary was a special building constructed between 1915 and 1917. It was designed in a beautiful style called Italian Renaissance architecture. This building was created to offer free dental care to everyone in Rochester, New York. Later, it also started helping with nose and throat problems. After being empty for almost 40 years, the building became quite run-down. In 1983, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
A Place for Healthy Smiles
In October 1915, a famous person named George Eastman gave money to build a free clinic in Rochester, New York. This clinic would offer dental care to everyone in the community. It was meant to be the main place for dental services in Rochester. It would also help other smaller clinics that had been built by people like Henry Lomb and William Bausch.
The clinic, or "dispensary," was officially opened on May 9, 1917. It started helping people on October 15, 1917. In that same year, the first class of the Dental Hygiene School graduated from the building.
Over the next few years, the dispensary grew bigger. George Eastman gave even more money in 1919. He gave 1,000 extra shares of Kodak stock. This money helped the clinic treat nose and throat problems. It also allowed them to offer orthodontics, which helps straighten teeth. The money also helped open a clinic for tonsil and adenoid surgeries.
Mr. Eastman continued to be a big helper for the dispensary. Even after he passed away in 1932, he left another $1 million for the clinic. In 1941, the clinic officially became known as the Eastman Dental Dispensary.
By 1978, the organization, now called Eastman Dental, moved to a new, bigger building. This new place was the Eastman Dental Center, located at the University of Rochester Medical Center. After they moved, the old Eastman Dental Dispensary building was empty for nearly 40 years. It slowly fell apart. Because of its history, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
New Life for an Old Building
In 2013, a company called Home Leasing LLC announced plans to fix up the old Eastman Dental Dispensary. They wanted to turn it into 57 rental apartments. This company helps create affordable housing in Rochester, New York.
On April 16, 2014, the state of New York announced it would help fund the project. They provided money to help make the apartments affordable for people.
On September 26, 2018, a special ceremony was held at the old dispensary. They celebrated the opening of the new senior apartment community. It was named Eastman Gardens, honoring the building's original founder, George Eastman. The total cost to fix up and restore the building was $20.7 million.
See also
- Eastman Institute for Oral Health
