Once again, Anna Hotter dives into the archives to investigate Columbia’s past in the city. She returns with pictures and tales from Midtown East, where the College made its last, brief stop before coming to Morningside. 

As we mentioned in last week’s instalment of #tbt, Columbia moved to Madison Avenue and East 49th Street in 1857. During the College’s tenure in Midtown, Barnard College became affiliated with the school. It was initially housed in a nearby townhouse. The Madison Avenue Campus was also where Columbia was finally given its current name, Columbia University, making it one of the country’s earliest establishments of graduate education. Columbia didn’t stay in Midtown for long. In 1897, only 40 years later, the school moved to the current location, replacing Bloomingdale Insane Asylum.

Photos and drawings via the Columbia Library Archives