in 1887, a laboratory for the study of bacteria, the hygienic laboratory, was established within the marine hospital service, which at the time was expanding its functions beyond the system of marine hospitals into quarantine and research programs. it was initially located at the new york marine hospital on staten island.[7][8][9] in 1891, it moved to the top floor of the butler building in washington, d.c. in 1904, it moved again to a new campus at the old naval observatory, which grew to include five major buildings.[10]