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Photo, Print, Drawing U.S. Naval Asylum, Biddle Hall, Gray's Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA U.S. Naval Home

View 138 images in sequence.
[ Photos from Survey HABS PA-1622-A  ]

More Resources

View 30 images in sequence.
[ Drawings from Survey HABS PA-1622-A  ]
[ Data Pages from Survey HABS PA-1622-A  ]
[ Photo Captions from Survey HABS PA-1622-A  ]

About this Item

Title

  • U.S. Naval Asylum, Biddle Hall, Gray's Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Other Title

  • U.S. Naval Home

Names

  • Historic American Buildings Survey, creator
  • Strickland, William
  • Mason, Anne, transmitter
  • Campbell, Joseph C., delineator
  • Stange, Richard C., delineator
  • Antonucci, Albert A., delineator
  • Tice, Tim, delineator
  • Tice, Amy, delineator
  • Gredell, Gary, delineator
  • Zeigler-Cihlar, Jessica L., delineator
  • Falstad, Michael, delineator
  • Marsh, Lauren, delineator
  • Bassett, William B., historian
  • McCown, Susan, editor
  • Boucher, Jack E., photographer
  • Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), sponsor
  • Jacobs, James A., transmitter
  • Tulloch, Margaret, historian
  • Tanner, Lewis, photographer

Created / Published

  • Documentation compiled after 1933

Headings

  • -  asylums
  • -  aged persons
  • -  military medicine
  • -  health care
  • -  vandalism
  • -  building failures
  • -  building deterioration
  • -  fires
  • -  porticoes (porches)
  • -  wrought-iron hand railings
  • -  wrought ironwork
  • -  Ionic order
  • -  pendentives
  • -  domes
  • -  Greek Revival architectural elements
  • -  fire-resistive construction
  • -  granite
  • -  brick vaults (architecture)
  • -  3 1/2 stories
  • -  graffiti
  • -  dormers
  • -  galleries (rooms & spaces)
  • -  brick walls
  • -  marble
  • -  stone walls
  • -  gates
  • -  round arches
  • -  square columns
  • -  pipes (conduits)
  • -  transoms
  • -  louvers
  • -  barrel vaults
  • -  Pennsylvania--Philadelphia County--Philadelphia

Notes

  • -  Significance: Designed by William Strickland (1788-1854), one of the first American-born and trained architects, Biddle Hall, the Surgeon General's Residence, and the Governor's Residence represent the largest extant ensemble of buildings by the architect. Biddle Hall, the central building of the U. S. Naval Asylum complex, moreover, is one of the most important surviving examples of early-nineteenth -century Greek Revival architecture in America. Strickland was one of the first architects to design, specifically, in the Greek idiom as opposed to a more interpretive neoclassicism favored by other architects, such as his mentor Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764 1820). For Biddle Hall, he drew direct inspiration from depictions of the Ionic temple on the Ilissus River in James Stuart and Nicholas Revett's Antiquities of Athens (1762), the definitive sourcebook in this country for architecture derived from Greek examples. While Strickland obviously looked to the past for expressive inspiration, as an architect he also realized the necessity of designing for the present and the future, and, accordingly, embraced the most up-to-date construction techniques to create a properly ventilated, adequately lit, and fire-resistant retirement and health care facility. Skylights and long verandahs were key elements in the design, one of the earliest masonry-vaulted, fireproof structures in the United States, and also one of the first to be constructed using architectural cast-iron columns. Biddle Hall is not only an aesthetically remarkable and well-proportioned classical edifice, but also a highly functional utilitarian structure embodying the latest healthcare design theories. Beyond its clear architectural worth, the Naval Asylum also possesses great significance vis-a-vis various aspects of American history. It was the first institution established by the federal government for the care of "disabled and decrepit navy officers, seamen, and marines" of all ranks, making it the first federal veterans' retirement facility in America. Biddle Hall was also home to the first formal U. S. naval academy from 1839 to 1845. Additionally from 1833 to 1868 before a separate hospital building was erected on the site, the structure housed the U. S. Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, one of the earliest regional naval hospitals in the country. The significance of the U. S. Naval Asylum is manifested in its listing on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places (1956), the Pennsylvania Register of Historic Places (1972), and the National Register of Historic Places (1972). The site was later classified a National Historic Landmark (1975), and in 1997 was designated the "Landmark Building of the Year" by the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
  • -  Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1585
  • -  Survey number: HABS PA-1622-A
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1826-1833 Initial Construction
  • -  National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 72001173

Medium

  • Photo(s): 137
  • Color Transparencies: 1
  • Measured Drawing(s): 30
  • Data Page(s): 83
  • Photo Caption Page(s): 16

Call Number/Physical Location

  • HABS PA,51-PHILA,577A-

Source Collection

  • Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

Repository

Control Number

  • pa0668

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • image
  • pdf

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material.

Ultimately, it is the researcher's obligation to assess copyright or other use restrictions and obtain permission from third parties when necessary before publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscape Survey (HABS/HAER/HALS) Collection - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
  • Reproduction Number: ---
  • Call Number: HABS PA,51-PHILA,577A-
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

If Digital Images Are Displaying

You can download online images yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

HABS/HAER/HALS materials have generally been scanned at high resolution that is suitable for most publication purposes (see Digitizing the Collection for further details about the digital images).

  • Photographs--All photographs are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Call Number and Item Number that appear under the photograph in the multiple-image display (e.g., HAER, NY,52-BRIG,4-2).
    • If possible, include a printout of the photograph.
  • Drawings--All drawings are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Survey Number (e.g., HAER NY - 143) and Sheet Number (e.g., "Sheet 1 of 4"), which appear on the edge of the drawing. (NOTE: These numbers are visible in the Tiff "Reference Image" display.)
    • If possible, include a printout of the drawing.
  • Data Pages
    • Make note of the Call Number in the catalog record.

If Digital Images Are Not Displaying

In the rare case that a digital image for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is not displaying online, select images for reproduction through one of these methods:

  • Visit the Prints & Photographs Reading Room and request to view the group (general information about service in the reading room is available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/001_ref.html). It is best to contact reference staff in advance (see: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/address.html) to make sure the material is on site. OR
  • P&P reading room staff can provide up to 15 quick copies of items per calendar year (many original items in the holdings are too old or fragile to make such copies, but generally HABS/HAER/HALS materials are in good enough condition to be placed on photocopy machines). For assistance, see our Ask a Librarian page OR
  • Hire a freelance researcher to do further selection for you (a list of researchers in available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/resource/013_pic.html).
  • You can purchase copies of various types, including quick copies, through Library of Congress Duplication Services (price lists, contact information, and order forms for Library of Congress Duplication Services are available on the Duplication Services Web site):
    • Make note of the Call Number listed above.
    • Look at the Medium field above. If it lists more than one item:
      • The entire group can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
      • All the items in a particular medium (e.g., all drawings, all photographs) can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.

  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, William Strickland, Joseph C Campbell, Richard C Stange, Albert A Antonucci, Tim Tice, Amy Tice, et al., Boucher, Jack E, and Lewis Tanner, photographer. U.S. Naval Asylum, Biddle Hall, Gray's Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. Pennsylvania Philadelphia County Philadelphia, 1933. editeds by Mccown, Susan, translateds by Mason, Annemitter, and Jacobs, James A.Mitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/pa0668/.

APA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, C., Strickland, W., Campbell, J. C., Stange, R. C., Antonucci, A. A., Tice, T. [...] Tulloch, M., Boucher, J. E. & Tanner, L., photographer, McCown, S., ed. (1933) U.S. Naval Asylum, Biddle Hall, Gray's Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. Pennsylvania Philadelphia County Philadelphia, 1933. Mason, A. & Jacobs, J. A. M., transs Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/pa0668/.

MLA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, et al., photographers by Boucher, Jack E, and Lewis Tanner. U.S. Naval Asylum, Biddle Hall, Gray's Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. ed by Mccown, Susan, trans by Mason, Annemitter, and Jacobs, James A.Mitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/pa0668/>.