Vassar Home for Aged Men
Encyclopedia
The former Vassar Home for Aged Men is located at Main and Vassar streets in Poughkeepsie
, New York, United States. It is just across the street from the architecturally similar Vassar Institute
.
It was established in the 1880s by the nephews of Matthew Vassar
, founder of Vassar College
, as a home for elderly men but was not fully occupied until the early 20th century. It continued in that use for most of the century, and was among the first buildings in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972. Later that year it also became a contributing property
to the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District
. Today it, like the Institute building, is owned by a local arts group, which rents some of the space in the building to other local non-profit organization
s.
wide on its western (front) facade
, where the basement is also exposed. It is faced in brick laid in running bond with granite
trim, over masonry walls on a balloon frame. The sheet metal
roof has a wide cornice
with large, vertically elongated brackets
at the corners and smaller ones in between.
A five-bay pavilion
projects from the east, with a veranda running its full length. It is enclosed by a baluster
railing, which continues down the steps, and supported by freestanding columns at the front and engaged ones at the rear. Similar, smaller verandas can be found on the other sides.
Inside, the rear stairway has a large carved newel
post. Both parlors have Neoclassical
black marble mantel
s that were preserved from an earlier building. Two later black marble mantels are in the reception room, which has a carved Louis XVI-style wooden screen
supported by four Corinthian
columns.
Designed for 50 men, it was initially home to six who met the criteria of being at least 65 years old, Protestant
and residents of New York State. It continued to operate below capacity until 1903, when the death of Matthew Vassar's widow made enough money available.
It remained a senior citizen's home throughout much of the 20th century. In the 1970s, it became the property of the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, which has used the lower floor for galleries
, public and private events, and rented out the upper floors as office space for other local non-profit organization
s.
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
, New York, United States. It is just across the street from the architecturally similar Vassar Institute
Vassar Institute
The Vassar Institute building is located at Main and Vassar streets in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, across from the architecturally similar Vassar Home for Aged Men...
.
It was established in the 1880s by the nephews of Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar was an English-born American brewer and merchant. He founded the eponymous Vassar College in 1861.He was a cousin of John Ellison Vassar.-Background:...
, founder of Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, as a home for elderly men but was not fully occupied until the early 20th century. It continued in that use for most of the century, and was among the first buildings in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972. Later that year it also became a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District
Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District
The Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District is located along those streets and Main Street in western Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It is an irregularly-shaped area of between US 9 and downtown Poughkeepsie, located on the slope up from the Hudson River...
. Today it, like the Institute building, is owned by a local arts group, which rents some of the space in the building to other local non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s.
Building
The Home is a three-story building nine baysBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wide on its western (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, where the basement is also exposed. It is faced in brick laid in running bond with granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
trim, over masonry walls on a balloon frame. The sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
roof has a wide cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
with large, vertically elongated brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
at the corners and smaller ones in between.
A five-bay pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
projects from the east, with a veranda running its full length. It is enclosed by a baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
railing, which continues down the steps, and supported by freestanding columns at the front and engaged ones at the rear. Similar, smaller verandas can be found on the other sides.
Inside, the rear stairway has a large carved newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
post. Both parlors have Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
black marble mantel
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
s that were preserved from an earlier building. Two later black marble mantels are in the reception room, which has a carved Louis XVI-style wooden screen
Folding Screen
A folding screen , is a piece of free-standing furniture which consists of several frames or panels connected by hinges. It can be made in a variety of designs and with different kinds of materials. Screens have many practical and decorative uses...
supported by four Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns.
History
The Home was built by Vassar's nephews on the site of his old house, incorporating some of the original interior trim, such as the black marble mantels. It cost $45,000 ($ in contemporary dollars) to build and was completed in 1880. The following year it was officially opened.Designed for 50 men, it was initially home to six who met the criteria of being at least 65 years old, Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and residents of New York State. It continued to operate below capacity until 1903, when the death of Matthew Vassar's widow made enough money available.
It remained a senior citizen's home throughout much of the 20th century. In the 1970s, it became the property of the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, which has used the lower floor for galleries
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
, public and private events, and rented out the upper floors as office space for other local non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s.