i8 



ment. was turned over to the New York Botanical Garden. 

 This area added to the 250 acres already under the authority 

 : the Botanical Garden made a total of nearly 400 acres, the 

 largest Botanical Park in the world. 



Included in this new territory was the mansion formerly 

 occupied by the Lorillard family. It had been in possession of 

 the city and under the jurisdiction of the Park Department 

 for some twenty-nine years. During this entire period, with 

 the exception of a temporary occupation by the Police Depart- 

 ment as a station house and the use of the basement by the 

 Park Department for storage and shop purposes, the building 

 had been entirely neglected. The condition of the building 

 was such that extensive repairs were necessary. The piazzas 

 on the south and west sides were virtually recontructed. The 

 outside was painted ; in the interior, repairs were made to the 

 floors and stairways; the walls and woodwork as well as the 

 stairways, were painted., and a steam heating plant was in- 

 stalled, from which the first and second floors have been 

 heated. All this has been accomplished at an expenditure of 

 several thousand dollars. In addition to the above, an electric 

 lighting plant will shortly be installed. The Mansion is almost 

 in the center of the Botanical Garden and is readily accessible 

 from all directions. 



The museum and its several connections occupy a floor 

 space of upwards of 4,500 square feet, not including the main 

 hall, giving ample room for the installation of many additional 

 cases with ample hanging room for many more pictures. 



Attendance 



The museum has been opened continuously every day from 

 I to 5 P.M. since August 1, 1915. This has been rendered 

 possible by the installation of the new steam heating plant. 

 While at times, by reason of the severity of the past winter, 

 the attendance has fallen to a minimum, yet on Saturdays. Sun- 

 davs and holidavs the number has often exceeded =;oo. The 



