History of Sailors' Snug Harbor
United States' First Marine Hospital
Before the days of medicare, social security, and pensions, once a sailor was no longer physically able to have a life as a sea-going mariner, he had to rely on his family and money he had already saved for support. Without that, he had no source of income or medical care. One sea captain changed all of that.
How Sailors' Snug Harbor Began
Captain Robert Richard Randall, an eighteenth century sea captain and millionaire, envisioned a place where sailors could live out their days and receive the medical care they needed, regardless of their financial circumstances. In his last will and testament, Captain Randall wrote that his money was to be used to build a "Marine Hospital, to be called 'Sailors' Snug Harbor' for the purpose of maintaining and supporting aged, decrepit, and worn-out sailors."
The Captain signed his will on June 1, 1801 but it would be several years before his dream would become a reality. The original plan was to use his estate in Manhattan as the marine hospital. However, the Trustees saw how quickly New York City was expanding and they did not think that an estate consisting of twenty-one acres would remain the peaceful oasis that Randall had in mind.
The Trustees searched for another location; one that would provide the quiet setting, the space with room to grow, and views of the water and ships of New York Harbor. They found it on the north shore of Staten Island along the Kill van Kull.
Opening and Expansion of Snug Harbor
On August 1, 1833, the main building, called the Main Hall, opened with an enrollment of 37 sailors. Snug Harbor's reputation and fame spread quickly. As the enrollment increased, so did the number of buildings increase to accommodate the growth. By the end of the nineteenth century, the enrollment had reached approximately 950 sailors.
Captain Randall's endowment made it possible for the residents, called inmates, to have everything provided for them ranging from clothing to medical care. In addition to the dormitories and dining facilities, there was a Reading Room, Library, Church, Chapel, Music Hall, Hospital, and Sanitorium. The employees lived on the property in cottages, and the director, who had the title of Governor, had his own private residence on the property. The most famous Governor was Captain Thomas Melville, the brother of the Moby Dick author, Herman Melville.
Throughout the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, Snug Harbor was, by all accounts, financially sound.
Decline and Landmark Status of Snug Harbor
The Great Depression, followed by the creation of social security and pension plans for sailors, saw a decline in the finances and enrollment of Snug Harbor. For the first time since inception, Snug Harbor was now facing an uncertain financial future.
During the 1950s, several of the buildings that were either no longer in use, or needed costly repairs, were demolished. Concerned citizens of Staten Island launched valiant efforts to save the remaining buildings. By the mid-1960s, a developer from out of state proposed to demolish everything except the 1833 Main Hall and the 1854 Chapel. What had been demolished would be replaced with high rise apartments. The New York City Landmarks Commission stepped in and fought for landmark status for the "front five" Greek Revival buildings and the Chapel. After the front five buildings and the Chapel received landmark status, the question remained what to do with the inmates who still lived on the property. The Trustees, once again, set out to find a new location and chose Sea Level, North Carolina. The move from Staten Island to Sea Level took place in 1976.
Snug Harbor Today
Today, the Staten Island Snug Harbor is 83 acres of a combination of historic preservation, museums, gardens, and re-use of space. It is listed as a National Landmarks Historic District. The Noble Maritime Collection, housed in one of the front five buildings, is a museum dedicated to the works of the artist, John Noble, and to the history and lives of sailors.
The Main Hall shows the extent of wealth that greeted the inmates when they entered Snug Harbor. Every stained glass window in the Hall has either a lighthouse or a ship in the center. There are ceiling murals of Neptune - god of the sea, and inscriptions on the walls referring to coming home after stormy seas. A domed skylight is in the center with a weathervane that still works. The sound the weathervane makes when the wind changes direction was designed to remind sailors of the sound of the wind against the sails.
Captain Randall did not live to see Snug Harbor become a reality. However, his dream of a place where sailors could live after illness and injury took their toll at sea, still exists. It is fitting, then, that Captain Randall is buried on the property at his Sailors' Snug Harbor.
Reference:
Shepherd, Barnett. Sailors' Snug Harbor 1801-1976. Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, New York City, 1979, Furthermore Press, Germantown, New York, Third Edition, 1999
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