Nestled in New York, North And South Brother Islands, New York stands as a testament to America’s ever-changing landscape. Once home to hopeful settlers seeking fortune and opportunity, this ghost town now whispers stories of bygone eras. Its abandoned structures and quiet streets invite visitors to imagine the vibrant community that once thrived here.
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North and South Brother Islands stand as haunting reminders of New York City’s complex past, two abandoned islands in the East River that have been reclaimed by nature after decades of human use and subsequent abandonment. These small, uninhabited islands between the Bronx and Rikers Island hold fascinating stories of quarantine, tragedy, and eventual desertion, making them true ghost towns within the boundaries of one of the world’s most populous cities.
Early History and Acquisition
The history of North and South Brother Islands begins in the early colonial period. The Dutch West India Company first claimed these islands in 1614, giving them the name ‘De Gesellen,’ which translates to ‘the companions’ or ‘the brothers.’ This name would eventually evolve into their current designations: North Brother Island and South Brother Island.
After the British took control of New Netherland (later New York) in the late 1600s, the islands passed into British hands. In 1695, the British government granted both islands to James Graham. However, Graham declined to establish a settlement on the islands due to the hazardous currents in the surrounding waters, a decision that foreshadowed the islands’ complicated relationship with human habitation throughout their history.
In 1791, the islands were put up for sale at an auction at the Merchants Coffee House, advertised as an ‘eligible situation for a pilot or a house of entertainment’ due to their strategic location along the river. The advertisement noted that North Brother Island already had a ‘dwelling house, barn, orchard, and a variety of fruit trees, with a quantity of standing firewood and timber,’ indicating some level of development had occurred by this time.
Initially, North Brother Island was part of the Bronx, which was then part of Westchester County. In 1881, a bill transferred North Brother Island to New York City, which at that time consisted only of Manhattan (as the consolidation of the five boroughs did not occur until 1898). This transfer would set the stage for the island’s most significant period of use.
The Lighthouse and First Permanent Structures
The first long-term structure built on North Brother Island was a lighthouse, established after two failed attempts in 1829 and 1848 when landowners refused to sell the necessary property. In 1868, the federal government finally acquired a piece of land on the southern tip of the island and constructed a lighthouse there. According to historical accounts, this small lighthouse featured a mansard roof and an octagonal tower. Though the lighthouse itself is no longer standing, traces of its foundation and the federally owned property remain visible on the island today.
The lighthouse keeper, sometimes referred to as ‘Lighthouse Dan,’ lived a solitary existence on the island, maintaining the beacon that helped guide ships through the treacherous waters of Hell Gate, a notoriously dangerous tidal strait in the East River known for causing numerous shipwrecks.
Riverside Hospital and Quarantine Era
The most significant chapter in North Brother Island’s history began in 1885 when the City of New York established Riverside Hospital on the island. This hospital was specifically designed to isolate and treat patients with contagious diseases, taking over the operations of an existing Riverside Hospital that had been located on Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island).
The decision to place a quarantine hospital on North Brother Island reflected the public health challenges of the late 19th century, when infectious diseases like smallpox, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever posed serious threats to the densely populated city. The island’s isolation made it an ideal location for containing these diseases while still being close enough to Manhattan for practical operation.
Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island treated a variety of contagious diseases, including smallpox, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and polio. The facility expanded over time, with various pavilions and structures being added to accommodate different types of patients and diseases. By the early 20th century, the hospital complex included patient pavilions, staff housing, a morgue, and various support buildings.
Despite controversy over some of its practices, both medical and social, Riverside Hospital was generally considered effective in its mission. As historian Randall Mason notes, ‘North Brother Island worked. It protected the city from pestilence. The threat and fear of infectious diseases were great, and Riverside Hospital was essential to treating it in terms of the new science and policies of public health.’ Other cities, such as Philadelphia, looked to New York’s solution as a model for their own public health challenges.
Photographer and social reformer Jacob Riis was a supporter of the work at Riverside Hospital, finding the island peaceful and the quarantine approach effective. He believed that ‘exile to North Brother Island was necessary to protect the city and well worth the cost, both social and financial.’
Typhoid Mary and Forced Quarantine
Perhaps the most famous resident of North Brother Island was Mary Mallon, better known as ‘Typhoid Mary.’ Mallon was the first person in the United States to be identified as an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever. She worked as a cook for wealthy New York families and unknowingly spread the disease to those who ate food she prepared, infecting between 51 and 122 people.
Mallon was first confined to North Brother Island from 1907 to 1910. After her release, she promised not to work as a cook again but broke this promise, continuing to work under an alias and causing more infections. As a result, she was returned to North Brother Island in 1915, where she remained in isolation until her death in 1938.
Mallon lived in a small house built specifically for her isolation, separate from the main hospital buildings. Her case raised significant ethical questions about individual rights versus public health that continue to resonate today. As author Mary Beth Keane noted in her book ‘Fever,’ ‘I really believe that, if she had infected a tenement with hundreds of people in it, and far more deaths had been the result, she wouldn’t have been put in the position she was in, working as she did for a wealthy family.’ Mallon’s story epitomizes the moral complexities and sometimes discriminatory practices that characterized North Brother Island’s role as a quarantine facility.
The General Slocum Disaster
On June 15, 1904, North Brother Island became the site of one of New York City’s worst disasters. The passenger steamboat General Slocum, chartered by St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for an excursion, caught fire while passing through Hell Gate. The ship’s captain, rather than immediately heading to shore, continued on, hoping to reach North Brother Island. This decision, combined with inadequate safety equipment and poorly trained crew, resulted in catastrophe.
The burning vessel eventually ran aground on North Brother Island’s shores, but by then, it was too late for many passengers. Of the approximately 1,358 people on board, mostly women and children from the German-American community of the Lower East Side, 1,021 perished either by fire or drowning. The medical staff of Riverside Hospital rushed to assist survivors and recover bodies that washed ashore.
Until the events of September 11, 2001, the General Slocum disaster represented the largest loss of life in New York City history. The tragedy not only left its mark on North Brother Island but also devastated the German-American community in the Lower East Side, contributing to the neighborhood’s demographic transformation in the early 20th century.
Decline of the Hospital and Transition
By the 1930s, advances in medicine and changing approaches to public health began to diminish the need for quarantine hospitals like Riverside. The development of vaccines, antibiotics, and improved sanitation practices meant that many infectious diseases could be prevented or treated without isolation on a remote island.
The tuberculosis pavilion on North Brother Island, completed in 1943, ironically came too late to serve its intended purpose, as the threat of TB was already waning, as was the practice of quarantining patients on islands. This marked the beginning of the end for Riverside Hospital’s original mission.
Following World War II, North Brother Island found a new purpose amid the post-war housing crisis. The government leased land and buildings on the island to house returning veterans and their families. A small community developed, complete with amenities like a grocery store, library, and movie theater. Approximately 500 people lived on the island during this period, with ferry service connecting them to the mainland for work and education.
In the 1950s, the island underwent another transformation when it became the site of a rehabilitation center for adolescent drug addicts. This facility, however, became notorious for its harsh methods. Despite claims of providing comprehensive treatment, many former patients reported that heroin addicts were simply locked in rooms until they were clean, often against their will. The facility’s controversial practices and allegations of staff corruption led to its closure in 1963. Interestingly, this facility inspired the Broadway play ‘Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?’, which helped launch the career of actor Al Pacino.
Abandonment and Current State
After the closure of the rehabilitation center in 1963, North Brother Island was completely abandoned. Various proposals for the island’s use have been considered over the years—from selling it to private developers to using it as a homeless shelter or an extension of Rikers Island jail—but none have been implemented.
In 2007, the New York City Parks Department took ownership of both North and South Brother Islands, designating them as wildlife sanctuaries. North Brother Island is now home to one of the region’s largest nesting colonies of black-crowned night herons, along with other bird species like barn swallows.
The buildings of the former hospital complex remain on North Brother Island, though they are in various states of decay. Nature has reclaimed much of the island, with trees growing through buildings and vines covering the crumbling structures. The island now presents a striking juxtaposition of human construction and natural reclamation, a ghost town in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities.
Access to North Brother Island is strictly prohibited without special permission from the New York City Parks Department, and visitors must be accompanied by a staff member. This limited access has helped preserve both the island’s historical structures and its role as a wildlife sanctuary.
South Brother Island, the smaller of the two islands at just 6 acres, has a less documented history. It was privately owned until 2007 when it was purchased with funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and transferred to the NYC Parks Department along with North Brother Island. South Brother Island never had the extensive development seen on its northern counterpart and today remains largely untouched, serving primarily as a bird sanctuary.
Physical Characteristics and Layout
North Brother Island encompasses approximately 20 acres of land, a surprisingly substantial area within the densely developed New York City. The island’s topography was altered in 1909 when four acres of landfill were added to the eastern side, accounting for about 25% of the island’s total area. Dormitories and other buildings were constructed on this fill, though much of it eroded away during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
The island’s built environment reflects its various historical uses. The remains of the Riverside Hospital complex include the main hospital building, the morgue, the tuberculosis pavilion (one of the last structures built on the island), the coal house, and the staff housing. These buildings represent various architectural styles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though all are now in advanced states of decay.
The southern tip of the island, where the lighthouse once stood, still shows traces of this early structure. The island’s shoreline varies from rocky outcroppings to small beaches where debris from the East River sometimes washes ashore, occasionally including artifacts from the island’s past.
South Brother Island, separated from North Brother by a narrow channel, is smaller and less developed. It primarily consists of natural vegetation with few signs of human intervention, making it an ideal habitat for nesting birds.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
North and South Brother Islands, particularly North Brother, have captured the imagination of urban explorers, historians, and photographers. The islands represent a rare example of abandonment and rewilding within the boundaries of a major metropolitan area, offering a glimpse into how quickly nature reclaims human constructions when left undisturbed.
Photographer Christopher Payne, who documented the islands extensively for his book ‘North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City,’ described the unique experience of visiting: ‘You step onto it, and all of a sudden you’re in the middle of the city and yet you’re completely alone. It’s an experience that I’ve never had anywhere else. It’s like you’re walking back into time, into another world, and yet you still hear the sounds of the city.’
The islands have also been the subject of various documentaries, articles, and books, reflecting ongoing public fascination with these abandoned places. They serve as powerful reminders of changing approaches to public health, the transient nature of human establishments, and the resilience of the natural world.
The story of North Brother Island, in particular, intersects with several significant chapters in New York City’s history: the struggle against infectious disease, the General Slocum disaster, the post-war housing crisis, and the heroin epidemic of the mid-20th century. As such, it serves as a physical repository of the city’s social history.
Preservation Efforts and Future Prospects
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the preservation of North Brother Island’s historical structures. In 2015, a study explored the possibility of limited public access to the island, though concerns about wildlife disturbance, structural safety, and logistical challenges have prevented implementation of these plans.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation program has conducted documentation and stabilization studies of the island’s buildings, recognizing their historical significance despite their deteriorated condition. These efforts aim to preserve the island’s built heritage while maintaining its role as a wildlife sanctuary.
For the foreseeable future, North and South Brother Islands are likely to remain closed to the public, their abandoned structures continuing to decay as nature gradually reclaims them. This status as forbidden places only adds to their mystique and ensures their continued role as ghost towns within view of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.
While physical access remains restricted, virtual exploration has become more accessible through books, documentaries, and online resources. These allow the public to experience these fascinating islands without disturbing their delicate ecosystems or endangering themselves among the unstable structures.
Viewing the Islands Today
For those interested in glimpsing North and South Brother Islands, there are several options that don’t require special permission to land on the islands themselves. The islands are visible from certain points along the shoreline of the Bronx, particularly from Barretto Point Park in the Hunts Point neighborhood.
Another way to view the islands is from the water. The NYC Ferry service to Soundview passes near the islands, offering passengers a view of these abandoned places. Various boat tours of New York Harbor sometimes include the East River in their routes, providing opportunities to see the islands from a distance.
For a more detailed look, aerial and drone photography has captured stunning images of the islands, revealing the full extent of their abandoned structures and natural reclamation. These images, available in books and online, offer perhaps the most comprehensive view of these inaccessible ghost towns.
North and South Brother Islands remain enigmatic features of New York City’s geography and history—visible yet untouchable, part of the city yet separate from it, monuments to the past surrounded by the ever-evolving metropolis. Their status as ghost towns is unique in that they were never traditional settlements but rather institutional spaces that, when abandoned, left behind the haunting remnants of their specialized functions.
Sources:
1. ‘The dark history of North Brother Island, New York’s forbidden place.’ The Bowery Boys: New York City History. https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2021/07/the-dark-history-of-north-brother-island-new-yorks-forbidden-place.html
2. ’10 Secrets of NYC’s Abandoned North Brother Island.’ Untapped New York. https://www.untappedcities.com/the-top-10-secrets-of-nycs-abandoned-north-brother-island/
3. ‘North Brother Island: New York’s forgotten time capsule.’ Far Out Magazine. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/new-york-forgotten-north-brother-island/
4. ‘Hauntings of North Brother Island.’ NY Ghosts. https://nyghosts.com/hauntings-of-north-brother-island/
5. Payne, Christopher and Randall Mason. ‘North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City.’ Fordham University Press, 2014.
6. ‘Inside North Brother Island, New York City’s Abandoned Quarantine Island.’ All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/north-brother-island
