The Star Building

I have a pdf of Overbrook's water mains and noticed that where the Activities Therapies building now sits was a building that was called "The Star Building". It was in the shape of a "plus" sign and was connected to the rear of building 11. This could make sense. I know several of us know when in the basement of building 11, there is a tunnel that goes down toward the activities building, but just stops. Could this possibly have gone there?

Best I could get from the document. I will try for a better one.

Interesting find! Here's an aerial shot from 1966. It seems the Star Building was demolished sometime in the late 1970's at which point the Activities Therapies Building was constructed. From the schematic it appears that the Star Building was connected to Building 11 by an above ground walk-way, but I imagine it had tunnel access at one point as well.

The Star building was the first building constructed at the hospital center in 1896

Vacant_NJ wrote: From the schematic it appears that the Star Building was connected to Building 11 by an above ground walk-way, but I imagine it had tunnel access at one point as well.

Think about this. Looking from that historic aerial You found, its possible the Star Building had tunnel access about where the tunnel out of the powerhouse meets the new tunnel goes to the current activities building.

I agree that it was connected to building 11 via an above ground tunnel. Next time we are there, I will try and get some pics of where it possibly could have been.

The tunnel that goes to activity therapies is the tunnel that went to the star building. that tunnel goes from the old powerhouse, which was built in 1896 like the Star Building. I beleve when they demoed the Star Building, they just didnt clear away the hatch and making the tunnel go into the floor was more or less a mistake. there is no reason to have that tunnel, because im pretty sure they abandoned that powerhouse once the star building was demoed.

abandonednj wrote: The tunnel that goes to activity therapies is the tunnel that went to the star building. that tunnel goes from the old powerhouse, which was built in 1896 like the Star Building. I beleve when they demoed the Star Building, they just didnt clear away the hatch and making the tunnel go into the floor was more or less a mistake. there is no reason to have that tunnel, because im pretty sure they abandoned that powerhouse once the star building was demoed.

I got a different opinion. And its just that, an opinion.

Looking at the aerial photo Vacant posted, it seems the Star Building extended farther down toward Smith Drive. Possibly sitting over where the old tunnel meets the newer tunnel the built into the current activities building. Once the new activities building was built, they dug a new tunnel to link up to the old one.





That old powerhouse is was still used up till the last time I was in it, aprox 6 months ago (Allot could have changed). One room has some old electrical transformers(Not in use) and the other has some water pipes and valves with water still going through them. On one of the doors was a very new switch plate marked "Alarm". Now being I was in there and nothing happened, I'm guessing it was an alarm for a pipe failure or something similar.

Is the star building?

yes it is