April 15, 1912: Cornerstone Laid as Titanic News Reached New York

In April 1912, as New York City absorbed the first reports of the Titanic disaster, another event unfolded along the waterfront: the laying of the cornerstone for the Seamen’s Church Institute’s new headquarters at 25 South Street. The timing gave the ceremony a somber tone. As news of the sinking spread, those gathered were already confronting the dangers faced by people who worked at sea, dangers the Institute had long sought to address. Founded in 1834, the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) began in a bustling port city where sailors were essential to the economy but often overlooked or exploited. 

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