Ottendorfer Public Library and Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital
historic place
At 135 and 137 Second Avenue in New York City's East Village, stand the Ottendorfer Public Library and Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital. These buildings were constructed between 1883 and 1884. German-born architect William Schickel designed them, commissioned by philanthropists Oswald and Anna Ottendorfer. They served the large German immigrant community, then known as "Little Germany," supporting both physical and mental well-being. The Ottendorfer Library was Manhattan's first purpose-built free public lending library. The adjacent Stuyvesant Polyclinic, originally the German Dispensary, provided medical care; its facade features terracotta busts of medical figures. The clinic was renamed during World War I. Both are New York City Landmarks and on the National Register of Historic Places. This site reflects a historical commitment to immigrant community support in New York.