Bayley Seton Hospital, entrance detail, ca. 1995.

Often overlooked, doors are perhaps the most important feature of a building. They are the means by which we escape the often crowded and chaotic streets of the city. Every building has one (well, maybe except for the Raymond Street Jail which was accidentally constructed in 1836 sans front door), but some outfit this largely utilitarian feature with more panache than others. This collection highlights some the city's loveliest historic doorways, from the simple but classic columns of early 19th century Federal rowhouses to the gloriously geometric brickwork of Art Deco apartment houses, and everything in-between.

Marine Hospital, 1931. The very first hospital on Staten Island was established in 1831. Named the Seaman's Retreat, it was a facility that served retired naval and commercial sailors. The building seen here, which remains extant, was the main structure of the hospital, built between 1834 and 1853 to the designs of Abraham P. Maybie. The Greek Revival building was home to the Laboratory of Hygiene for Bacteriological Investigation (later called the National Institute of Health) between 1887 and 1891 and in 1903 it taken over by the federal government, becoming the U.S Marine Hospital. The building was designated a landmark in 1985, four years after the government terminated their ownership of the building. Today this historic building and its more modern neighbors are largely empty as the medical operations have been condensed into only a few structures on the site. Plans have been proposed to create a Salvation Army community center on the property, but as of late 2017 work had not commenced.