Local Architect Determines that Kahn Design for FDR Park Included Two Sculptures

Roosevelt Island resident Marc Diamond, an architect himself, in a letter to the RIOC Board of Directors points out that the original Louis Kahn design for the FDR Four Freedoms Park was to include a second sculpture which in the FERI design has been omitted.

Mr. Diamond in his letter passionately points out the design of the sculpture was not the focus for Kahn but that he did include two. He reasons that RIOC has as much vested in the design of the park [presumably as the prospective party charged with the care and upkeep of the park] as does FERI and if FERI chose to ignore an original facet of the Kahn design then RIOC has the ability to request that it be reinstated with the shape of the [2nd] sculpture to be determined.

Mr. Diamond points to a April 25, 1974 NY Times article where it clearly states that the original design left by Kahn included a second sculpture evidenced further by the graphics presented in the article and represented with this blog post.

Interesting stuff.

Passover Provided to Patients on Welfare Island (1935)

Passover - Welfare Island - NYT - 1935 April 17

Touring Roosevelt Island - 75 Years Ago Today

An article published 75 years ago today by the New York Times offers an interesting time capsule view of then Welfare Island. I have only posted here a few measly snippets, which truthfully don't even start the tour, but if you subscribe to the NYT you should have full access to the article. Sorry not trying to be an advertisement.

Fifty Two Years Ago Ferrry Service Discontinued

Fifty two years ago this weekend, June 22nd, ferry service from East 78th Street to Roosevelt Island, then Welfare Island, was discontinued due to in major part to the opening, in 1955, of the lift bridge connecting the island to Long Island City. The end of service marked the end of twenty-one years of service connecting the island to Manhattan by water.

Direct Bus Access from [Roosevelt] Island to Manhattan ?

It was proposed that [Roosevelt] Island residents and employees be afforded direct bus service to and from Manhattan. Of course the proposal was made in 1957 by the entity that operated the last trolley line across the Queensboro Bridge with the goal of such service replacing their trolley operation with buses to then Welfare Island. This last trolley operated solely between 59th Street and Second Avenue to Queens Plaza in Long Island City

The above and below images accompanied a March 20, 1957 NY Times article discussing the proposal. According to the article 80 to 85 percent of the trolley’s riders were City employees either getting off or on the trolley at the mod point of the Queensboro Bridge to take the then elevator down to Welfare Island where they were employed at either Coler or Goldwater Hospitals. Under the proposal to switch to direct service, the trolley-goers were to be afforded door to door bus service to and from each hospital.

I am unsure if this is how the last trolley came to its end but I am guessing the full story can be found in the Queensboro Bridge Images of America book now being sold by the RI and Astoria Historical Societies.

Update: 5:32pm

On April 7, 1957, the last trolley, Car 602, rattled across the Queensboro Bridge, making one last stop mid point across the bridge at Welfare Island and proceeded across to Queens Plaza. According to the NY Times article of that day, riders were not afforded direct bus access prospectively to Welfare Island but were able to take the Q101 from Second Avenue in Manhattan to Queens Plaza, as you can still do stoday, and transfer to the Q102 onto Welfare Island.

For pictures of what happened to those last trolley cars (Car 601 etc) link HERE.

Past New Year Celebrations on Roosevelt Island

As is my custom on holidays such as New Year's Eve I like to present via the archives of the New York Times a glimpse into the history of Roosevelt Island when it was still known Welfare or Blackwell's Island.

The first of the two articles presented focuses on a charitable effort to aid the poor and crippled living on then Blackwell's Island. The second provides a detailed account of individuals visiting the Island to seeloved ones unlucky enough to be confined to its hospitals or deserving of incarceration here.

Santa Flies by Helicopter to Roosevelt Island

The following are two articles from the New York Times Archive reporting events on what was then Welfare Island related to Christmas. The first from 1952 reports that Santa had to deliver presents to Welfare Island via helicopter as vehicle traffic was not possible. The second from 1927 addresses a gift of carillon bells to the Church of the Good Shepherd which were rang for the first time on that Christmas eighty years ago today.

Real Escapes from Roosevelt (then Blackwell’s) Island

I must admit I was delighted when my Second Dock post of two days (Dec 19) ago was picked up and featured under the Daily “Blog Talk” post by the New York Times City Room Blog. I was more amused by their summarization of the piece as “Escape from Roosevelt island” focusing in on my concerns of needed transportation alternatives if the Tram, subway and Bridge were all out at the same time.

I believe many of the added visitors I received that day were looking for prison escape stories. I figured I should oblige as Roosevelt Island was once the home of New York City’s Penitentiary, the famed “Big House” that criminals were sent up the river to, before it moved to Riker’s Island. So courtesy of the NYT here are partial accounts of two such escape attempts (from 1875 and 1894) and the headline referring to the transfer of inmates to Rikers in 1903

Roosevelt Island’s Name Changes – A Short History

What did FDR, Marcus Garvey, and Roberto Clemente all have in common? They each had destinations re-named in their honor by NYC on July 19, 1973. In FDR’s case it was then Welfare Island which was being re-named. The Island bore the name “Welfare Island” for a mere 52 years as opposed to the Island’s prior name “Blackwell Island” which it bore for much longer. The second image below details this discontent with the name change to Welfare Island.

Roosevelt Island Could Have Had Four (4) Bridges

Yes, it’s true at this moment I am obsessed with the concept of bridges. In July 1969, a plan to develop Roosevelt Island with private funding was delivered to then Governor Rockefeller which proposed a “commercial, intellectual, recreational and residential “city of the future” housing 150,0000 people.” To be honest I don’t care about all the promises this plan offered.

All I care about is that it envisioned 4 bridges connecting this island to either Manhattan or Queens. Under the plan there would have been “four broad bridges modeled after the Ponte Vecchio in Florence and containing along their length shops, hotels, banks, theaters and restaurants”.

As we all know the Kahn plan was not to be and the State went with the plan proposed in October 1969 by Ed Logue of the Urban Development Corporation.

But why did they think one bridge was enough. Couldn’t they foresee that having only one means of “natural” egress would not be enough.

We will never have more than we have now bridge-wise but a blogger can dream can’t he? And did I mention that the Northernmost of the planned bridges would have exited into the parking lot of what is now Costco in Long Island City. That would have been sweet.

Map Source:
New York Times “Think Tank Director Proposes $2 Billion Plan to Develop Welfare Island as “City of the Future”” July 10, 1969

Proposal to House 70,000 on [Roosevelt] Island

OK, so it was a 1961 proposal. I thought it would be fun to bring back excerpts from various historical articles detailing plans considered by New York City or simply proposed to New York City regarding the use and planning for Roosevelt Island prior to NYS leasing this place for 99 years and embarking on the current “utopia” we now live in.

I especially like the segments about the number of amenities and proposed transportation on and off the island for 70,000 people. I can’t imagine the lines for the elevators up to the 59th Street Bridge.

As a graduate of SUNY-Albany the concept of building the structures atop a two level concourse which would house retail and services is not so far fetched as this is what was done on that university campus and part of NYS’s capital complex. The number of schools and libraries sounds great as well. Perhaps this can be tried during the island’s next iteration.