Sailors’ Snug Harbor, Staten Island

Architect: Minard Lafever and Richard P. Smyth; chapel designed by R. W. Gibson

Constructed: c. 1830-80

LPC Action: Calendared in 1984
Sailors’ Snug Harbor, a home for retired seamen, was founded in 1801 by Captain Robert Richard Randall and operated on Staten Island from 1833 to the 1960s, when it relocated to North Carolina. In 1965, several buildings and interiors were designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and in 1972, the complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The listing describes the 40-acre campus as “…a rare surviving example of mid-19th-century urban planning, architecture, and landscaping, scarcely equaled in the nation.” Its buildings are described as “Notable example[s] of the Greek Revival Period whose design is marked by fine proportions and details and that this building is an essential component of a unique group of buildings which are a superb manifestation of their background and time.” In 1976, Snug Harbor reopened as the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, which is home to the Staten Island Museum, a botanical garden and a theater. In 1984, a historic district to encompass more than just individual buildings was calendared for a public hearing.