Down on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island are the ruins of the Renwick Smallpox Hospital. First opened in 1856 it used to be a 100-bed hospital for those inflicted with the virus. The hospital was located on the island in an attempt to quarantine ill people from the city at large. It was open for 100 years before falling into disrepair.
The modern-day Roosevelt Island seemingly rose around it. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, the first ruin on the list. A massive restoration is underway and they plan to open the building to the public, I can't wait to explore then!
9 thoughts on the matter:
...where would the world be today if Smallpox had been thought of as a hoax.
That's going to be so cool. How creepy and beautiful right now though!
We saw this part of the island! Interesting that they are opening it to go inside!
That must be a huge undertaking to restore it! It looks so neat as is and I can't imagine what it will look like once they restore it.
Oh that’s cool, Tamar! I love old abandoned buildings of the medical sort! I find them so fascinating. One of my fave shows is Mysteries of the Abandoned where they explore places like this around the world!
Shelbee
This is a novelist's inspirational dream. Wow!
How fantastic. It would make a great backdrop for outdoor concerts. Funny how ruinious became....
When I lived in Asia I saw many 'old cases' of Smallpox, these people were terribly scarred from the disease.
I'm glad it isn't an issue today. Although 'Monkey Pox' is now circulating...
So very interesting and eerie. What an amazing place.
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