n 1924, the Institute moved to the present campus, relocating from congested Manhattan to a 17.5-acre bucolic location in the Bronx. As early as 1859 the management had recognized that the present site was inadequate, but no new location was found. As a result of this delay, “civilization” threatened to swallow the Institute. By the late nineteenth century, the once-tranquil site had trolley lines on three sides, while an elevated railroad crossed in front of the building. The noise made it extremely difficult to teach, for most instruction was given orally. At last, an undeveloped 35-acre site was acquired in north Manhattan around a hill then called Mount Hope (now Washington Heights). Development was delayed by the Civil War and by a weak economy. Eventually, it became apparent that the growth of New York City had made the land too valuable to be used as a school. While searching for another site, some of the land was leased out. The most unusual tenant, from 1903-1912, was a baseball team, the New York Highlanders, which later became known as the New York Yankees.