With the closure of Beth Israel Hospital, which operated the infirmary, it’s crucial that this historic institution is designated a landmark and saved from destruction.

The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI) at East 13th Street and Second Avenue is in grave and imminent danger of being lost forever. This striking building, most of which was built in the 1890s, housed what is the oldest specialized hospital in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1820 by two doctors known as the “fathers of American ophthalmology.” This institution became an icon of comprehensive and accessible care for the public, attracting Helen Keller to speak at the ribbon cutting for its final stage in 1903. In addition to providing trailblazing medical care for people with disabilities, it also gave a home to the first Black ophthalmologist in America and the first enslaved person in America to earn a college degree to practice. It’s a critical part of our city’s and country’s history, particularly the history of people with disabilities and Black Americans, which very few of our city’s designated landmarks reflect or protect.