William L Bostwick House /Reconstruction Home

Details

Name: William L Bostwick House /Reconstruction Home
Address: 318 S Albany St Ithaca (as of 1899)
70 S Albany St Ithaca
Year Built: Unknown

Building Type: Residence
Construction: 3 story Brick structure with Brick lining.
Block Number: 93

Description

Reconstruction Home For Infantile Paralysis, a home for children and adults in need of treatment for the impact of infantile paralysis, opened July 8, 1920 with four patients. See "To Open After Care Home for Children Here," Ithaca Journal, July 7, 1920, 7.

Reconstruction Home Collection Finding Aid, The History Center in Tompkins County
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
This collection contains materials regarding the Reconstruction Home in Ithaca, NY. Following the 1916 Polio Epidemic the New York State Department of Public Health assigned Anna Quackenbush to lead rehabilitation services for victims of infantile paralysis, or polio, in the Ithaca area. Miss Quackenbush took up residence in Ithaca with Miss Mary Hibbard. Miss Hibbard quickly became involved in the rehabilitation mission and voluntarily took four children with infantile paralysis into her home. Together, both ladies provided care to the children under Miss Quackenbush’s direction. Miss Hibbard used networking opportunities, especially luncheons with local businessmen, to bring in donations and funding to support local polio victims. In 1920, the Bostwick House on S. Albany St. was opened and devoted exclusively to the rehabilitation of those who suffered from infantile paralysis. It was the first home of its kind in the nation and received praise from such notable figures as Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1929 the Home was able to expand even more thanks to the donations of one of the Home’s most generous supporters, Virgil D. Morse or “Daddy Morse.” Around the same time, the Home also cared for local orphans like Charles Taggart who later wrote an insightful memoir about life at the Home. The Reconstruction Home continued to flourish due to Ithaca’s outpouring of support. The local radio station, WHCU, even dedicated an entire week, known as “Operation Polio,” during the annual March of Dimes initiative to raise awareness and donations for victims of infantile paralysis.
By 1932, the Reconstruction Home no longer exclusively treated polio patients. They expanded care to include patients with spastic paralytics. As the polio vaccine began to reduce the need for a polio rehabilitation home, the Reconstruction Home opened its doors to elderly patients seeking a nursing home and rehabilitation services. In the 1990s, the Home became a pioneer in health care once again as it opened the only Alzheimer’s Unit and Adult Day Health Center and on-site rehabilitation in the area.

At the time of this writing (2014) the Home still exists by the name of Beechtree Care Center and cares primarily for elderly patients.

Source of Building Data: 1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas;
Multi-Family Construction: ;
Roof of Main Structure: Non-combustible, Mansard;
Additional Sections: Section 1, back right (W), 2 stories, brick, non-combustible Mansard roof / Section 2, back right of Section 1 (W), 1 story, brick, non-combustible roof;
Porches: Porch 1, front arc between Bay 1 and Bay 2 (E), 1 story, wood, non-combustible roof / Porch 2, left (S), 1 story, wood, non-combustible roof / Porch 3, back of Main Structure and left of Section 1 (WS), 1 story, wood, non-combustible roof / Porch 3, back of Section 1 and left of Section 2 (WS), 1 story, wood, non-combustible roof ;
Outbuildings: Stable 1, 2 story, wood, non-combustible roof with Section 1, right (N), 1 story, wood, shingle roof (#318 1/2 S Albany St);
Other: Bay 1, left (E) / Bay 2, right (E), Bay 3, back right (N);

Media (Photos, Videos, Audio Recordings)

Bostwick Home (later Reconstruction Home)

Bostwick House used for Reconstruction Home 1920

Reconstruction Home 300 Block of S. Albany St.

Tax assessment photograph taken in 1954 for the purposes of government appraisal by Roy Wenzlick & Co. 1954

Add Source/NarrativeSources & Narratives

No sources or narratives yet for this building.

Resident Household in 1880

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
William Bostwick	M	43	Head	Canal Appraiser
Fannie A Bostwick	F	41	Wife	Keeping House
Edward H Bostwick	M	16	Son	At School
Herbert W Bostwick	M	15	Son	At School
Ada I Bostwick	F	11	Daughter	At School
Lawrence Bostwick	M	3	Son	None
Electa Skidmore	F	69	Mother-in-Law	At Home
Maria Salisbury	F	43	Domestic	Servant
Anna Livermore	F	41	Domestic	Servant

Resident Household in 1900

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Fannie A Bostwick	F	58	Head	None
Ada I Bostwick	F	29	Daughter	None

Resident Household in 1910

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Fannie A Bostwick	F	70	Head	Own Income
Ada Bostwick	F	40	Daughter	None

Resident Household in 1920

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Lawrence Bostwick	M	43	Head	Manager
Bell Bostwick	F	34	Wife	None
Ada Bostwick	F	52	Sister	None

Resident Household in 1930

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Bess A Williams	F	38	Superintendent	Superintendent
Margaret Schooley	F	53	Lodger	Physiotherapist
Mable A Shepard	F	37	Lodger	Occuptional Therapist
Donald E Vaughagn	M	23	Lodger	Orderly
Emil Gribbohm	M	48	Patient	None
Bennet Dame	M	15	Patient	None
Robert Gifford	M	21	Patient	None
Robert Evans	M	14	Patient	None
John Davis	M	13	Patient	None
Willard Wipple	M	13	Patient	None
Walter Aimes	M	9	Patient	None
Walter Bradly	M	13	Patient	None
Edward Swope	M	18	Patient	None
Henry Moriarity	M	19	Patient	None
Albert Odell	M	18	Patient	None
James Campbell	M	25	Patient	None
Albert Bushey	M	10	Patient	None
Walter Allen	M	15	Patient	None
Waring Spencer	M	16	Patient	None
Crawford Dobbs	M	15	Patient	None
George Kirk Jr	M	15	Patient	None
Merlin Reynolds	M	16	Patient	None
Velma Brisol	F	29	Patient	None
Madeline Clifford	F	39	Patient	None
Dorothy Raymer	F	16	Patient	None
Lorina Pennwright	F	14	Patient	None
Dorothy Stebbins	F	19	Patient	None
Norma Priero	F	17	Patient	None
Agnes Raymond	F	21	Patient	None
Margaret Aiken	F	19	Patient	None
Catherine Chamerlain	F	19	Patient	None
Catherine Newton	F	13	Patient	None
Helen Korbel	F	11	Patient	None
Catherine Chancy	F	16	Patient	None
Helen Wilson	F	16	Patient	None
Harriet L Wilkes	F	15	Patient	None
Muriel Bohrer	F	14	Patient	None
Helene Inglis	F	12	Patient	None
Cynthia Pierce	F	12	Patient	None
Arlene Bradish	F	4	Patient	None
Bruce Butts	M	2	Patient	None
Bambridge Ferrington	M	5	Patient	None
Frank Goodwin	M	6	Patient	None
Hilda Gokey	F	4	Patient	None
Edith Peterson	F	8	Patient	None
Gerald Middaugh	F	5	Patient	None
Frederick Slayton Jr	M	4	Patient	None
Charlotte Rogers	F	2	Patient	None
James Shaff	M	1	Patient	None
Mildred Irwin	F	7	Patient	None
Dora Schenk	F	10	Patient	None
Margeret Brayman	F	6	Patient	None
Catherine Callinan	F	6	Patient	None
Anne Dickens	F	22	Lodger	Nurse

Resident Household in 1930

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Andrew Goldsmith	M	48	Head	Trainman
Julia Goldsmith	F	49	Wife	None

Resident Household in 1940

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Larry Joseph Gaurnier	M	42	Head	Superintendent
Elizabeth N Winn	F	24	Nurse	Physiotherapist
Denise Deschamps	F	22	Nurse	Physiotherapy
Anna Maloney	F	49	Housekeeper	Housekeeper
Mary Maloney	F	16	Housekeeper's Daughter	None
Miriam A Schell	F	20	Nurse	None
Eleanor Coppola	F	28	Supervisor	Supervisor Physiotherapy
Mary Chauvoustie	F	28	Physiotherapist	Physiotherapist
Richard Caveney	M	28	Orderly	Orderly
Joseph T D'Orazio	M	25	Orderly	Orderly
Ruth Beebe	F	21	Nurse	Nurse
Thomas Hilkert	M	33	Nurse	Nurse
Maude Mestler	F	39	Seamstress	Seamstress
Helen G Ives	F	29	Physiotherapist	Physiotherapy
Jean Willis	F	25	Physiotherapist	Physiotherapy
Ruth Bartlett	F	25	Physiotherapist	Physiotherapist
Albert C Watson	M	31	Caretaker	Caretaker
Nina Ellanora Watson	F	26	Caretaker's Wife	None
James C Watson	M	2	Caretaker's Son	None

Resident Household in 1950

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Larry J Gaurnier	M	52	Head	Superintendent
Eleanor C Gaurnier	F	38	Wife	Physical Therapist
Ruben Alberry	M	8	Resident	None
Nancy Lee Allen	F	5	Resident	None
Genevieve Brewer	F	16	Resident	None
Leland Burnham	M	5	Resident	None
Clifford Borshardt	M	15	Resident	None
Kathryn Brown	F	15	Resident	None
Donald Bishop	M	27	Resident	None
Robert Bertollini	M	11	Resident	None
Doris Brewster	F	25	Resident	None
Julia Marie Becker	F	20	Resident	None
Alexander Bernstein	M	17	Resident	None
Richard Brink	M	17	Resident	None
David Covey	M	4	Resident	None
Patricia Chapel	F	3	Resident	None
Lauren Casper	M	10	Resident	None
Margaret Digney	F	16	Resident	None
Beatrice Dake	F	14	Resident	None
Bonnie Lee Davis	F	7	Resident	None
Allen Frazier	M	13	Resident	None
Mary Patricia Gilbert	F	5	Resident	None
Helen Havens	F	4	Resident	None
Sonja Jean Hiehle	F	4	Resident	None
Dean Hammond	M	11	Resident	None
Betty Haskins	F	8	Resident	None
Harold Kahl	M	46	Resident	None
Josephine King	F	16	Resident	None
Frederick Laass	M	5	Resident	None
Alfred Leonardo	M	18	Resident	None
David George Porter	M	14	Resident	None
Ronald Purcell	M	17	Resident	None
Anthony Patterson	M	6	Resident	None
Ellen Randall	F	5	Resident	None
Rose Ann Raud	F	5	Resident	None
Donald Reynolds	M	14	Resident	None
John Radigan	M	13	Resident	None
Charles Riall Jr	M	19	Resident	None
Eileen Rolfe	F	6	Resident	None
Pat Sergi	M	22	Resident	None
Betty Sherman	F	12	Resident	None
John Strader	M	14	Resident	None
Richard Stradlin	M	6	Resident	None
Barbara Gail Stowe	F	11	Resident	None
Nancy Stroup	F	10	Resident	None
Shirley Stroup	F	12	Resident	None
James Seviger	M	26	Resident	None
Donald Tennent	M	6	Resident	Inmate
Robert Thesier	M	1	Resident	Inmate
Laurel Varce	F	12	Resident	Inmate
Judy Wason	F	6	Resident	Inmate
Frances Weber	F	26	Resident	Inmate
Sally Ann Woods	F	7	Resident	Inmate
Dale Zein	F	4	Resident	Inmate
Linda Zick	F	8	Resident	None
Vallie Zick	F	9	Resident	None
Annie Laurie Maloney	F	60	Lodger	General Housework
Mary Maloney	F	26	Lodger	Physical Therapist
Inez Locke	F	40	Lodger	Physical Therapist
Florence Northrup	F	47	Lodger	Physical Therapist
Tom Tracy	M	48	Lodger	Male Practical Nurse
Tomas D Hilkert	M	43	Lodger	Registered Nurse
Ava Jean Thomas	F	62	Lodger	Practical Nurse
Tressa Hopper	F	60	Lodger	Nurse's Aid
Leslie Irsa	M	45	Lodger	Maintainence Janitor
Maria Irsa	F	36	Lodger	None
Maria Irsa	F	8	Lodger	None
Charles W Watson	M	51	Resident	Inmate

Resident Household in 1950

Name	Sex	Age	Relation	Occupation
Margaret Wilson	F	45	Wife	None