Block House
LocationNew York, New York
Coordinates40°41′20″N 74°0′50″W / 40.68889°N 74.01389°W / 40.68889; -74.01389
Arealess than one acre
Built1843
ArchitectMartin E. Thompson
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.72000863[1]
NYCL No.0544
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 24, 1972
Designated NYCLSeptember 19, 1967

The Block House, also known as Building 9 and the Governors Island Post Hospital, is a brick building in the Nolan Park area of Governors Island in New York Harbor, New York City. Its name is due to its early use as a prison.[2] Ulysses S. Grant was briefly stationed there early in his military career.

Building 9 was constructed in 1839 in the Greek Revival style and was initially used as the Post Hospital. The roof of the building was originally flat, but was replaced with a hip roof in 1864 because the flat roof would leak.[3][4][5] Ten years later, two wings for patient wards were built because the original structure was so poorly ventilated.[4] In 1878–1879, Building 9 was converted to offices for the Military Division of the Atlantic and the Department of the East.[3][4][5] The building was used for various Army commands until the 20th century, and by 1947, the structure was converted to four sets of officers' quarters.[4][5]

Building 9 is two-stories with a red-brick facade, raised above a high schist basement. Brick paths lead from Nolan Park to the front entrance. The entrance is surrounded with granite around pedimented wood, which in turn enclosed a paneled wood door. There is a wrought-iron balcony immediately above the front entrance; the back formerly had a similar entrance design, which is now a window. The windows are six-over-six and contain granite lintels and window sills.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ Landmark sign on side of building
  3. 1 2 Edwards and Kelcey Engineers, Inc. (November 4, 1998). Governors Island Disposition of Surplus Federal Real Property: Environmental Impact Statement. p. 245.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Hansen, Laura; Pearson, Marjorie (June 8, 1996). "Governors Island Historic District" (PDF). City of New York; New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. pp. 63–64 (PDF pp. 68–69). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "National Register of Historic Inventory - Nomination Form For Federal Properties: Governors Island". United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. February 4, 1985. pp. 8–9.
The Block House on a late-summer day in 2014
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