exploration marathon

first stop: plant research institute

The establishment of this plant research institute in Yonkers was a result of the generosity of William Boyce Thompson. An intelligent businessman, Thompson increased the mining wealth he became heir to and used his millions to benefit society through a series of philanthropic contributions.

It seems natural that a man who did business with men including J.P. Morgan would have enlisted a top architectural firm (Carrere and Hastings) to design a beautiful and functional structure. The building stands empty and abandoned today, after the Institute was moved north to become part of Cornell University.

It's abandoned state is one of the more cheerful ones I've wandered through. Despite the encroaching business park, the area around it remains green and lush with handsome old trees and rolling hills of plant beds, suggesting a beautiful and industrious past. The sturdy brick red framed greenhouses that flank the main building may be missing glass, but suggest they could become functional after a few days of repair. And inside, warm wooden moldings and doorframes exude a scholarly history.