A building on North Brother Island sits in the East River and has been abandoned for the last 48 years. Riverdale Hospital was located on the Island and was used to treat patients of highly contagious diseases; its most notorious patient being Typhoid Mary. (Image source: Daniel Watt)
© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
This Is Where We Used to Quarantine People Infected With Deadly Diseases Like Ebola
October 16, 2014
"[H]ow we've dealt with epidemics."
It’s the site of an abandoned hospital.
The eerie North Brother Island, described by some as the last unknown place in New York City, is located in the East River and was developed in 1885 when Riverside Hospital moved to the island.
A building on North Brother Island sits in the East River and has been abandoned for the last 48 years. Riverdale Hospital was located on the Island and was used to treat patients of highly contagious diseases; its most notorious patient being Typhoid Mary. (Image source: Daniel Watt)
The hospital specialized in treating patients with Smallpox and allowed officials to isolate infected individuals from the public.
Over time, it was used to treat patients with other quarantinable diseases.
To see what the city would look like if we all left today, visit North Brother Island. https://t.co/exvsrGaHDM pic.twitter.com/BZKB3yCgyX
— WNYC (@WNYC) October 16, 2014
Later, it served as a place to accommodate returning World War II veterans and the center eventually opened to provide treatment for drug addicts.
A decade later, in 1963, it was ultimately closed and abandoned.
Since, the island’s facilities have been decommissioned and the grounds are closed to the public.
"A Melancholy Island, With Skyline Views." North Brother Island, abandoned since 1963. https://t.co/1SwNNKpVGt pic.twitter.com/8O9LnIe24O
— Alan (@GammaCounter) October 16, 2014
Photos: A Rare, Legal Visit To "Spellbinding" North Brother Island https://t.co/PEsqAzcL0M pic.twitter.com/wh9Qh7OfLN
— Gothamist (@Gothamist) October 16, 2014
The island now serves as a bird sanctuary. Photographs reveal the former hospital and facilities crumbling and overrun by plants.
City council member Mark Levine recently visited the island, telling the Gothamist it's filled with "so much history" like "how we've dealt with epidemics."
"To visit there was an experience unlike any other that I've had," Levine he said.
"These ruins of the former hospital that have been overrun by nature," he continued to the Gothamist. "The experience of being completely isolated in this forest with these half decayed beautiful buildings as you faintly hear in the background the sounds of the city."
—
Follow Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) on Twitter
Want to leave a tip?
We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?
more stories
Sign up for the Blaze newsletter
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content that may sometimes include advertisements. You may opt out at any time.
© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Get the stories that matter most delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content that may sometimes include advertisements. You may opt out at any time.