Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital
From Asylum Projects
| Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1879/1931 |
| Closed | 1984 |
| Current Status | Closed |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Architect(s) | Charles B. Meyers |
| Location | Manhattan, NYC, NY |
| Architecture Style | Italian Renaissance |
| Alternate Names | |
History
Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital was built in 1931 in the Italian Renaissance style (the term “Bellevue” would soon become slang for any mental health facility). Over the years, it became a dumping ground by the police for many of the city’s so-called criminally insane (Mark David Chapman spent some time here – other well known patients include Edie Sedgwick and Norman Mailer). It also served as a revolving door for homeless patients, and by 1983, nearly all new admissions were re-admissions.
The city began phasing it out as a psychiatric center in 1984, and in 1998, it had been fully transformed into a homeless intake shelter. It almost became a luxury hotel in 2010, until plans fell through.
