The Eastman Dental Dispensary was constructed between 1915 and 1917 in the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

architectural style by architects Gordon, Madden, and Kaelber. It was built as a free dental dispensary to serve the community of

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, later expanding into throat and nose diseases. It fell into a state of disrepair after sitting vacant for close to four decades. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1983.

History

In October 1915,

George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. He was a major philanthropist, establishing the ...

provided the funds to build a free dispensary in

, that provided oral health benefits to the entire community. This dispensary would serve as the central location for dental services in the Rochester community, supplementing many other smaller offsite locations that had been constructed by other area philanthropists such as

Henry Lomb Henry Lomb ( – ) was a German-American optician who co-founded Bausch & Lomb (with John Jacob Bausch) and led a group of businessmen to found The Mechanics Institute, the forerunner of Rochester Institute of Technology. Biography Lomb was bo ...

and William Bausch. On May 9, 1917, the dispensary was dedicated and on October 15, 1917, the dispensary officially opened to the public. 1917 also saw the graduation of the first class of the Dental Hygiene School. Over the next few years, the dispensary continued to grow, prompting George Eastman to make an endowment of 1,000 additional

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

stock shares in 1919. This endowment provided necessary funds for the dispensary to aid in the treatment of nose and throat disorders, as well as provide orthodontics services. This endowment also provided the necessary means for the dispensary to open a tonsil-adenoid clinic. Mr. Eastman continued to be a major benefactor of the dispensary even into his death in 1932, leaving a bequest of an additional $1 million. In 1941 the dispensary officially gained its name as the Eastman Dental Dispensary. By 1978, Eastman Dental, as the organization came to be known, moved to a new larger building, the Eastman Dental Center at the

University of Rochester Medical Center The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), now known as UR Medicine, is located in Rochester, New York, is one of the main campuses of the University of Rochester and comprises the university's primary medical education, research and pat ...

campus. Following the move, the Eastman Dental Dispensary building sat vacant for close to four decades, and fell into a state of disrepair. It was listed on the

in 1983.

Eastman Gardens

In 2013, Home Leasing LLC, a for-profit developer of affordable housing based in Rochester, New York, announced plans to redevelop the Eastman Dental Dispensary into 57 rental apartments.Home Leasing LLC
/ref>RochesterCityNewspaper.co

2013-11-14 On April 16, 2014, New York State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR) announced awards of $2,200,000 in Housing Trust Fund (HTF) program funds, $946,000 in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and $449,356 in New York State Low-Income Housing Credits (SLIHC) to the project.Rochester Business Journa

, 2014-04-16Governor Andrew Cuom

2014-04-16NYS Homes & Community Renewa

2014-04-16 On September 26, 2018, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the former dispensary to celebrate the opening of the new senior apartment community, named Eastman Gardens in honor of the building's original founder,

. The total cost of renovations and restorations totaled $20.7 million.

References

External links

Eastman Dental DispensaryEastman Institute for Oral Health
{{Authority control Hospital buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Renaissance Revival architecture in New York (state) Hospital buildings completed in 1917 Retail buildings in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Rochester, New York Dental academics Dental companies of the United States Oral hygiene

History

Eastman Gardens

See also

References

External links