The Philadelphia Naval Asylum, later the Naval Home, was a hospital, the Philadelphia Naval School, and a home for retired sailors for the United States Navy from 1834 to 1976, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Located on over 20 acres (81,000 m2), the central building, Biddle Hall, was completed in 1833. Biddle Hall, the surgeon's residence and the governor's residence were all designed by architect William Strickland. They are considered some of the best examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
One of the uses of the Naval Asylum was for the Philadelphia Naval School, an academy for midshipmen that was a precursor of the United States Naval Academy. Beginning in 1838, midshipmen approaching examinations for promotion were assigned to the school for eight months of study. William Chauvenet was placed in charge of the school in 1842 and formalized much of the study. When the United States Naval Academy was formed in 1845, four of the seven faculty members came from the Philadelphia school.
The name was changed to Naval Home in 1889. In 1976, the Naval Home relocated to Gulfport, Mississippi, after it was determined that the Philadelphia facility could not be economically expanded and modernized.
The property was sold to residential developer Toll Brothers in 1988. The main building was the victim of arson in 2003. It has since been restored and designed as luxury condomiums.
Famous quotes containing the words philadelphia, naval and/or asylum:
“It used to be said that, socially speaking, Philadelphia asked who a person is, New York how much is he worth, and Boston what does he know. Nationally it has now become generally recognized that Boston Society has long cared even more than Philadelphia about the first point and has refined the asking of who a person is to the point of demanding to know who he was. Philadelphia asks about a man’s parents; Boston wants to know about his grandparents.”
—Cleveland Amory (b. 1917)
“The world was a huge ball then, the universe a might harmony of ellipses, everything moved mysteriously, incalculable distances through the ether.
We used to feel the awe of the distant stars upon us. All that led to was the eighty-eight naval guns, ersatz, and the night air-raids over cities. A magnificent spectacle.
After the collapse of the socialist dream, I came to America.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“The most threatened group in human societies as in animal societies is the unmated male: the unmated male is more likely to wind up in prison or in an asylum or dead than his mated counterpart. He is less likely to be promoted at work and he is considered a poor credit risk.”
—Germaine Greer (b. 1939)