Bay Ridge Hospital Explained

Bay Ridge Hospital's Brooklyn building^{[1] [2]} became a nursing home.^[3]

History

Pre-World War I plans to build a hospital at Seventh Avenue, to be named Bay Ridge Hospital, were altered, and that location became Victory Memorial Hospital,^[4] as "a monument to the soldiers of the section who died in service."^[5] The result was described as "There would be no more Bay Ridge Hospital. Or would there?"^[4]

A series of steps led to what actually became Bay Ridge Hospital:^[4]

• In 1912 "a group of local doctors" bought and converted a mansion "on Ovington Avenue, between Third and Fourth" into what was named "Bay Ridge Sanitarium, which had 12 beds."
• In 1920 "a fireproof, one-story maternity ward was built."
• By 1926 they had added space to the fire-vulnerable Sanitarium, and they had a total of 96 beds.

After a major fire, they rebuilt, resulting in a five-story fireproof 437 Ovington Street main building and, across the street, "the hospital purchased 438 Ovington Avenue for use as its nurses’ home."

The 438 building "no longer exists"^[4] and 437 became "St. Nicholas Home for the elderly."^[2]

Notes and References

1. News: . BAZAAR TO AID HOSPITAL.; Fair for Bay Ridge Institution . October 12, 1919 . The Women's Auxiliary of the Bay Ridge Hospital has arranged to hold a bazaar on Oct. 17 and 18 in the hospital building, Seventh Avenue and Ninetysecond Street.
2. News: New York Times. Mr. Charlie and the Spices of His Life. April 6, 2008. I was born right here in Bay Ridge Hospital, which is now St. Nicholas Home for the elderly..
3. Web site: Where to Find Medical Records for Closed Hospitals in New York State. Bay Ridge (Now a nursing home), 437 Ovington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209.
4. Web site: The Fights for Bay Ridge's First Hospitals . March 27, 2017.
5. News: . 2. memorial. February 25, 1919.