The Octagon (Roosevelt Island) facts for kids
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The Octagon
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Aerial view
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| Location | 888 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, NY, 10044 United States |
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| Built | 1835 |
| Architect | Alexander Jackson Davis |
| Architectural style | Octagon Mode |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000880 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The Octagon is a unique, eight-sided building on Roosevelt Island in New York City. It was built in 1834 and is now part of a large apartment complex.
This historic building first served as the main entrance to the New York City Mental Health Hospital. This hospital opened in 1841. The Octagon's design came from Alexander Jackson Davis. It was a five-story round building made of blue-gray stone from the island. The Octagon is the only part of the original hospital that remains. After many years of neglect and two fires, it was almost completely ruined. But it was restored and now connects to new apartment buildings. A famous journalist named Nellie Bly wrote about the difficult conditions for patients at the hospital in her 1887 book, Ten Days in a Mad-House.
History of the Octagon
The Octagon was built as part of the New York City Mental Health Hospital in 1841. Later, in 1894, it became part of the Metropolitan Hospital. The Octagon building, as part of Metropolitan Hospital, closed in 1955. This left the building empty for many years.
Even though it was in bad shape, the Octagon was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1972. It was the last piece of the old hospital. After a lot of work and two fires, it was nearly destroyed. In April 2006, after being fully restored, the Octagon reopened. It now serves as the main entrance for two apartment buildings next to it. These buildings have 500 apartments in total.
How the Octagon is Sustainable
The new apartment complex uses modern technology to be very energy efficient. It has both solar panels and fuel cell systems. A large setup of solar panels (50 kW) and a powerful fuel cell (400 kW) help the building make more than half of its own electricity.
The fuel cell system is special because it creates both electricity and heat. It changes natural gas into power and heat without burning it. This system provides most of the energy the building needs. It is much more efficient than getting energy from the regular power grid. The heat from this process is also used to warm the building and its water. Because of these systems, the Octagon is expected to reduce its carbon emissions by 790 metric tons each year. This is a big step for the environment.
The Octagon received a large award from New York State for its green building efforts. It also won the "Green Apple Award" in New York City. This award recognized its leadership in using sustainable ideas for homes. In 2006, a new residential building was constructed on the site. It was designed to look like the original Octagon. In 2008, it earned LEED Silver status from the U.S. Green Building Council. This shows its commitment to being environmentally friendly.
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The main building in 1893
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The round part (rotunda) in 1970
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Original stairway inside, second floor
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As shown in Ten Days in a Mad-House
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How it looked in 2017
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See also
In Spanish: The Octagon (Isla Roosevelt) para niños
- List of octagonal buildings and structures
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan on Islands
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan on islands
