Beautifully Situated on the River Schuylkill: Views of the U.S. Naval Asylum and Hospital in PACSCL Collections

The site of the U.S. Naval Asylum in Philadelphia has had a long and varied history, from a country seat of pre-Revolutionary Philadelphia gentry to its impending reinvention as luxury housing.

The 20.7 acre campus at Grays Ferry Avenue served as the Naval Asylum (later called the Naval Home) from the completion of its central building in 1833 to its closing in 1976. It contains three buildings -- the central Biddle Hall flanked by the Surgeon's residence to the left and the Governor's residence to the right -- designed by architect William Strickland and considered one of the best examples of Greek Revival architecture in the country. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.

The collections of PACSCL member libraries are rich in early views and accounts of the buildings.