Washington Heights & Inwood Online

Fort Washington Avenue between 163rd and 166th Streets has been the location for various education and health institutions. For over a century and a half these particular institutions treated patients with physical and mental disabilities and allowed them to re-enter society.

One such home was the New York Institute for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. It was founded in 1817, opened its doors on 163rd Street in 1834, and closed in the late 1920s to relocate to better facilities in Valhalla, New York.

Nearby on 166th was the Institute for the Blind, which also closed in the 1920s. The land had gone unused until after World War II. The cornerstone of the building was laid on September 21, 1948. Mayor William O’Dwyer and Dr. Willard Rappelye, dean of the faculty of medicine and vice president in charge of medical affairs for Columbia University, were there for the occasion.

In August 1950, the Delafield Hospital opened its doors as a cancer hospital and research center. The 300-bed hospital was maintained by New York City but was staffed by doctors from the medical center. Delafield boasted a 2-million-volt deep therapy x-ray machine, which was the second one of its kind ever built in the United States.

The hospital was named for Dr. Francis Delafield (1841-1915), who graduated from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1863. He received a faculty appointment and became a professor of pathology. Dr. Delafield was one of seven physicians who, in 1885, met at his office to form the nucleus of the Association of American Physicians.

Delafield closed in 1976, and the building lay dormant for several years. Today the New York City Housing Authority operates the building as the Fort Washington Houses for the Elderly, which was opened and dedicated on May 16, 1985.

Fort Washington Houses meets a variety of needs for senior citizens. It also provides a Community Caregiving program as a combined effort of community and citywide agencies that assists in services for memory-impaired individuals and their caregivers. The house also has a senior center for the elderly of the community to come to. The staff speaks English and Spanish.

The Fort Washington Houses and Senior Center is located at 99 Fort Washington Avenue at 163rd Street. For more information please call (212) 923-4142. Rebecca Carel is the Director of the Fort Washington Houses.