Sailors Snug Harbor

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JK
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Sailors Snug Harbor

Post by JK »

I never realized Snug Harbor was an actual place.

From the site:
http://www.thesailorssnugharbor.org/Pages/default.aspx

The will of Captain Robert Richard Randall who died on June 5, 1801-four days after he signed his will- directed that the proceeds of his estate be used to build upon his farm (Minto Farm) “an asylum, or Marine Hospital to maintain and to support aged, decrepit, and worn-out sailors”.

To satisfy the instructions in the will, the Trustees purchased a 130 acre farm on Staten Island from Isaac Houseman, overlooking New York Bay, for $10,000 to be used for the mariners. Five Greek Revival-style dormitories opened in the summer of 1833 with 37 retired seamen. The original plan was for 200 seamen. More buildings were added till there were 55 major buildings, and by the beginning of the 20th century there were 1000 ‘snugs’. Six acres had been given over to a cemetery where there are supposedly 8000 mariners buried. The buildings included dormitories, residences for staff and the governor, a replica of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, a hospital and a music hall. Many researchers think that the methods used for health care were the beginnings of modern day elder care. The buildings included dormitories, residences for staff and the governor, a replica of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, a hospital and a music hall.
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