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Strecker Memorial Laboratory
Welfare Island, Strecker Memorial Laboratory, New York (New York County, New York).jpg
Strecker Memorial Laboratory is located in New York City
Strecker Memorial Laboratory
Location in New York City
Location Roosevelt Island, New York, New York
Area less than one acre
Built 1892
Architect Withers & Dickson
NRHP reference No. 72000886
Quick facts for kids
Significant dates
Added to NRHP March 16, 1972

The Strecker Memorial Laboratory is a special old building on Roosevelt Island in New York City. It is located in Southpoint Park. This building has a long history. It was once a very important science lab.

Strecker Memorial Lab jeh
The Strecker Memorial Laboratory after it was fixed up in 2010.

History of the Strecker Lab

The Strecker Memorial Laboratory was built in 1892. It was made to be a lab for the nearby City Hospital. This lab was special because it was the first place in the United States for studying diseases and tiny living things like bacteria. This type of study is called pathological and bacteriological research.

Building Design and Purpose

The Strecker family paid for the building to be built. Architects Frederick Clarke Withers and Walter Dickson designed it. They used a style called Romanesque Revival. This style often includes large, rounded arches.

The lab had big arched windows. These windows let in lots of natural light and fresh air. On the first floor, there was an office. There was also a room for autopsies. An autopsy is when doctors examine a body to find out why someone died.

The floor above the first floor held the main laboratories. Here, scientists looked at samples under microscopes. The basement was used for storing things. It also served as a place to keep bodies before autopsies. Later, another floor was added. This new floor had more lab space. It also had a science library and a museum about diseases.

Changes Over Time

In 1907, a group called the Russell Sage Institute of Pathology took over the lab. This institute later worked with Rockefeller University. Scientists continued to do important research there for many years.

However, the laboratory closed in the 1950s. After it closed, the building was not taken care of. It started to fall apart.

Protecting a Historic Building

Even though it was in bad shape, people recognized the lab's importance. In 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important places in the country. Then, in 1976, it became a New York City landmark. This means the city also protects it.

New Use for the Old Lab

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) found a new use for the building. The MTA runs the subway system. Subway trains go under Roosevelt Island through the 53rd Street Tunnel. The MTA needed a place to put equipment that changes electricity for the trains. This equipment is called a power conversion substation.

The city worked to fix up the old lab building. They made sure to restore it carefully. The substation has been working inside the historic building since the year 2000. This way, the old lab helps power modern subway trains.

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