Smallpox Hospital

Abandoned on the southern end of Roosevelt Island stands the Smallpox Hospital. A chilling reminder of a time when contagious diseases ravaged New York City. Originally called Renwick Smallpox Hospital, it later became the Maternity and Charity Hospital Training School. The very location of the Smallpox Hospital speaks volumes about its purpose. Built on an isolated island, then called Blackwell’s Island, it was meant to quarantine the infected, keeping the disease from spreading through the city. Despite the smallpox vaccine being available, outbreaks still occurred, often brought in by immigrants. The hospital opened in 1856 with 100 beds, designed by the renowned architect James Renwick Jr., who also designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He chose the Gothic Revival style, giving the Smallpox Hospital an eerie, almost medieval appearance. The building was constructed with a granite veneer over solid masonry, featuring crenelated parapets and polygonal chimneys. The pointed arches of the windows and the central entrance porch add to its distinct character. While serving as a hospital, it housed charity wards on the lower floors and private rooms above for paying patients. In 1875, the Smallpox Hospital closed, transitioning into a training center for nurses affiliated with City Hospital. The island itself was renamed Welfare Island in 1921, reflecting the changing times. The two new wings, built in 1903-1905 in the same Gothic Revival style, housed the growing number of student nurses. The Smallpox Hospital building, however, eventually succumbed to neglect and decay, becoming what is now known as the Renwick Ruin. Despite its ruinous state, the Smallpox Hospital holds a unique distinction. It’s the only ruin in New York City designated a landmark. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and a New York City Landmark in 1976, it stands as a haunting yet beautiful testament to the city’s past. Even in ruins, the Smallpox Hospital echoes with the whispers of its history, a stark reminder of the battles fought against disease and the evolution of healthcare in the city.