Wanderlust World Wanderlust World If you're tracing the history of one of America's most significant maternity institutions, you'll find it at 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065—the address of the Sloane Hospital for Women, the direct successor to the original Lying-In Hospital of New York.
The Lying-In Hospital of New York was founded in 1799 as one of the nation's first dedicated maternity hospitals, serving poor and immigrant women in lower Manhattan. Over the 19th century, it relocated several times as the city grew northward. In 1899, a transformative gift from William Rockefeller and William Sloane funded a new, state-of-the-art facility on the Upper East Side. Renamed Sloane Hospital for Women, it opened at its current location in 1902.
In 1932, Sloane Hospital became the obstetrics and gynecology department of the newly formed New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center (now NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center). This merger created one of the country's premier academic obstetrics programs, combining Sloane's clinical expertise with Cornell's research and teaching mission.
525 East 68th Street remains an active address within the NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell campus. The historic Sloane building houses labor and delivery units, maternal-fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, and reproductive medicine services. It's located between York Avenue and the FDR Drive, adjacent to the main hospital complex at 525 East 68th Street (the address spans the block).
The term "lying-in" refers to the traditional postpartum confinement period when women remained in bed after childbirth. The Lying-In Hospital's founding reflected a revolutionary idea: that childbirth deserved dedicated medical facilities, not just home attendance. The Sloane name honors the philanthropists who ensured this mission continued in a modern, purpose-built hospital.
If you're visiting for clinical care, use the main NewYork-Presbyterian entrance at 525 East 68th Street and follow signs for Labor & Delivery or the Sloane Pavilion. For historical research, the Weill Cornell Medicine Archives and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Archives hold records, photographs, and annual reports dating back to the Lying-In Hospital's earliest years.
From a charitable dispensary in 1799 to a world-class academic obstetrics center at 525 East 68th Street, this institution's address tells a story of medical progress, philanthropy, and unwavering commitment to women's health.