The Forgotten Island of New York: North Brother
Located between Riker’s Island and the Bronx on the East River, North Brother Island currently sits in a state of disrepair, abandoned for the last fifty years. North Brother wasn’t always this way. Back in the nineteenth century, the city of New York decided an isolated location was necessary to quarantine and treat those suffering from infectious disease. North Brother Island provided the perfect solution.
Thus, existing facility Riverside Hospital was moved to North Brother Island in 1885 and re-established as a quarantine facility.
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The most famous resident of North Brother Island was Typhoid Mary. Typhoid Mary was the first documented person in the United States to be a carrier of Typhoid fever. Mary was accused to have infected over 50 people over the course of her life.
In 1915 Mary was sent to quarantine on North Brother Island for the remainder of her life. She would eventually die of pneumonia on North Brother in 1938.
After the Second World War, the housing shortage would see North Brother house war veterans.
Once the housing shortage subsided in the ‘50s, North Brother Island became a drug addict rehabilitation center. The facility wasn’t exactly known for coddling addicts; heroin users were merely locked in a room until they were clean. Others claim they were held against their will.
By the 1960s staff corruption and a high number of relapse in patients forced the facility to close. With aging facilities and no other uses for the island, the government abandoned it in 1963.
It has not seen use since.
Most of the buildings are still there, but all are heavily deteriorated and in danger of collapse.
(Click thumbnails to enlarge)
Currently, North Brother Island is a bird sanctuary.
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PS General Slocum Disaster
North Brother Island was also the site of the largest New York City-area disaster until the September 11th attacks in 2001. In June of 1904, the steamboat PS General Slocum caught fire and sank in the East River. Over 1,000 people on board died, most washing up along the shores of North Brother Island.
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Aerial view of North Brother Island December 1957:
Riverside Hospital pictures courtesy of The Kingston Lounge
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Hey man great to see another post! Thanks for the effort you must put into this site, it’s great
Agreed. The posts are not that frequent but they’re worth the wait.
Sweet! Thanks for posting…I’m surprised there hasn’t been an effort to repurpose this area…maybe your post will spark interest…
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, we are hoping to step up the frequency of new content this year.
New reader of the blog, and rapidly addicted to your archive. Sublime and compelling and so nicely judged. I recently listened to the WYNC Radiolab episode featuring Typhoid Mary. Satisfying to get a little closer to the action with this post. Thanks.
I was listening to the Radiolab episode just today.
So want the iron staircase for my barn…Good job as always finding and bringing to us interesting and long forgotten places and items of interest. I would like to explore some of the places I’ve seen on the website, best wishes to you in the new year.
I love your blog. Please keep posting.
I am wondering if access to the buildings is difficult.
Thx, very interesting !
Hello, just wanted to tell you, I loved this post. It was
helpful. Keep on posting!
I want to to thank you for this excellent read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you saved as a favorite to look at new stuff you post…
Ditto!
Fascinating!
New York is endlessly full of surprises! Thank you for this one.
I really love your blog. I just came across on this yesterday and read all your old postssss. Thanks!
Fascinating article. Glad to see you are posting again. I love the blog. You feature some really great quirky stuff.
Those photos are quite good. Does anyone know how to access the island?
Since the government abandoned the island in 1963, does that mean nobody actually owns the island? Could somebody with millions come in and wipe the island clean and build some 5 star resort?