Smallpox Hospital Ruins: A Gothic Relic on Roosevelt Island

Why It Stands Out

Before it was Roosevelt Island, this narrow strip of land in the East River was known as Blackwell’s Island—a place defined by its separation from the bustling streets of Manhattan. In 1856, the city opened this Gothic Revival facility to house the thousands of people suffering from smallpox.

Architect James Renwick Jr. brought an unexpected elegance to the grim task of quarantine, utilizing crenelated parapets and heavy stone that have survived long after the roof collapsed. At its peak, the hospital managed roughly 7,000 patients annually, providing a ferry-accessible but strictly segregated zone for those fighting a disease that once claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across Europe every year.

While humanity eventually wiped out the virus entirely by 1979, this site remains a witness to the era before vaccination was universal. By 1875, the facility shifted roles, serving as a dormitory for nurses as the primary smallpox wards moved to the more remote North Brother Island.

Eventually, the building was left to the elements in the 1950s. While most abandoned New York structures are either restored or razed, the Landmarks Preservation Commission took a different path in 1975.

They designated the site a city landmark specifically in its state of decay, reinforcing the remaining walls to ensure the shell would stand as a permanent, stabilized ruin.

Before You Go

You can reach the ruins by taking the F train to the Roosevelt Island station or by riding the scenic Roosevelt Island Tramway from Manhattan. For a more nautical approach, ferries from Wall Street, Astoria, and Long Island City also stop nearby.

Once on the island, a walk south along the waterfront leads directly to the fenced-off site. While you cannot step inside the crumbling interior for safety reasons, the perimeter offers clear views of the foundation and the surviving outer walls.