The Lying-In Hospital was established in 1799 as a ward at the first Almshouse by Dr. Valentine Seaman. The interest was so great that it was transferred to the NY Hospital.The almshouse was excavated in 1999, when the plaque installed at City Hall.NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is the oldest hospital in America. They trace their roots back to 1736 when a six-bed infirmary opened on the second floor of the New York City Almshouse. This was just four years after the birth of George Washington and 40 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
