Reconstruction & Renovation

Potential uses for historic New Jersey Hospital building being explored

The abandoned Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parsippany, N.J. and surrounding land will be preserved and turned into parkland, leaving the question of what to do with the historic Kirkbride building. The neo-Gothic building was the largest poured-concrete structure in the U.S. before the Pentagon was built.
Nov. 23, 2011
66fb16482ac3a58310198c18 Kirkbride

The abandoned Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parsippany, N.J. and surrounding land will be preserved and turned into parkland, leaving the question of what to do with the historic Kirkbride building. The neo-Gothic building was the largest poured-concrete structure in the U.S. before the Pentagon was built.

Designed a few years after the Civil War by Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan, the former hospital is a French Renaissance Second Empire-style building that features marble pillars, a rotunda, and a chapel. It was dedicated in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant. The building will be assessed to see if it has any potential income-generating uses before a decision is made on whether to renovate it.

To read more, click here. BD+C

About the Author

Drew Ballensky

Drew Ballensky is general manager of Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.’s central U.S. facility in Iowa and company spokesman for Duro-Last’s cool roofing, sustainability and architectural education programs. He is past-president of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association and chairman of CFFA’s Vinyl Roofing Division. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University. Drew has over 29 years experience in business and industry in various engineering and managerial capacities. He has worked in the U.S. and Canadian operations for a major international manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, was a financial analyst with a major athletic apparel manufacturer and was an owner of a general contracting company.
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