Ottendorfer Public Library and Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital
Also known as: Ottendorfer Public Library and German Dispensary
Why it's listed
Two neighboring buildings on Second Avenue in Manhattan's Lower East Side were built together in 1883-1884 to a design by German-born architect William Schickel. One housed the German Dispensary, later the Stuyvesant Polyclinic, and the other the Ottendorfer Library. Both were gifts of Anna and Oswald Ottendorfer, German-American newspaper publishers who wanted to serve the physical and mental well-being of the neighborhood's German immigrants. The dispensary is an ornate neo-Italian Renaissance building with molded terra-cotta ornament, including portrait busts of Hippocrates, Galen, Harvey and other medical and scientific figures. The library, in red Philadelphia pressed brick with terra-cotta trim, blends Queen Anne and Renaissance elements and keeps a largely intact interior with iron stacks. It is the oldest branch library in Manhattan and one of the earliest buildings in the city designed as a public library. The dispensary provided free care to the needy and continued as a clinic into the late twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The buildings are significant for their architectural quality and their link to 19th-century German-American philanthropy. The dispensary is an ornate neo-Italian Renaissance design with innovative terra-cotta ornament and portrait busts of physicians and scientists, while the library is an individual Queen Anne interpretation. The library is the oldest branch library in Manhattan, and both buildings were gifts of Anna and Oswald Ottendorfer to the German community.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001607, listed July 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 135 and 137 2nd Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | July 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001607 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1883-1884 |
| Architect / builder | William Schickel |
| Architectural style | Neo-Italian Renaissance (Polyclinic); Queen Anne (Library) |
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are in good condition. The library's first floor is in use, its second floor is not in use, and the superintendent occupies the third. In the polyclinic most upper-floor rooms are empty, with only two third-floor offices in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.72977, -73.98712 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001607.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q110315829
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.