Over the next twenty-five years, the infirmary became prey to the whims of graffiti vandals, arsonists, and perhaps worst of all, the elements. The infirmary building had been gutted, leaving very little of the interior character intact, but no motions had been made to stabilize it. This was shortly halted, and the entire campus started to fall into ruin.

Work was even begun on turning one of the other buildings on the campus, a six-story brick structure, into a condo complex. Nothing ever came of the discussion, and over the next several years, alternate development plans were floated, some of which would maintain the character of the building, some of which would not. In 1983, the Landmarks Preservation Committee considered the infirmary for landmark status.

Thus began the decline of the gorgeous Barlow-designed infirmary building. Then in 1979, the hospital abandoned the campus, moving into a brand-new, state of the art facility on Seaview Avenue. For decades, the campus would expand, adding several new pavilions, nurses' quarters, a physical plant, and other buildings. In 1917, the Infirmary was renamed The Staten Island Hospital, a nod to the fact that it served all of the island. Smith's house to this new building, which was opened with some great fanfare. This was thought to cut down on the spread of disease. He designed the new castle-styled building according to prevailing treatment modalities of the day, with all four corners occupied by rounded towers. Smith's former residence.Īfter years of fundraising, in the late 1880s enough money was raised to build a new structure on Castleton Avenue. Over the next few decades, the infirmary would move several times, occupying successively larger structures in order to be able to care for more patients.

Smith, a prominent local doctor who was heavily involved in charity care for the poor. The infirmary was named in honor of Samuel R. It was the first private hospital on the island the population at the time was 25,000. In 1861, a one-room infirmary was founded on Staten Island. Smith Infirmary building tells a sad story which highlights the failures of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, as well as the generally sad state of historic preservation in general.

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