{"id":15400,"date":"2022-04-13T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?p=15400"},"modified":"2022-04-13T15:01:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T19:01:30","slug":"abandoned-nyc-historic-landmarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/abandoned-nyc-historic-landmarks\/","title":{"rendered":"Abandoned NYC Historic Landmarks"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

\u200bNew York City’s<\/a> mysterious past left us with a legacy of abandoned buildings, cemeteries, hospitals, and even an occasional boat graveyard. However, how many structures are considered world patrimony and worthy of preservation? There are still several abandoned NYC historic landmarks that locals and tourists can visit in-person.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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These historical gems that withstood fires, war, and famine remind us to this day of NYC’s resolve, legacy, and determination to feed the hungry, home the immigrants, heal the poor, and thrive.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Neponsit Hospital<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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By David Shankbone – Own work, CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Once at tuberculosis sanatorium, the hospital operated from 1915 to 1955 on the shores of the picturesque Rockaway Beach<\/a>. The main building is an architectural marvel designed by McKim Mead and White.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

During World War II, the hospital attended military veterans. Later, it became a retirement nursing center that eventually closed in 1998. In 1907 the construction of the hospital started with a sizable donation of $125,000 by Rockefeller. Inspired by “smiling Joe,” a bedridden child-patient suffering from spinal tuberculosis, Theodore Roosevelt advocated for the project. The result was stunning, with a capacity for 122 patients and balconies facing the ocean. The project gained momentum over the next two decades, including on-site artwork and gardens.<\/p>\r\n

In 1943, patients were subject to evacuation by the mayor. To reduce the oil shortage, the hospital shut its doors. In 1945, public health services used the hospital to treat veterans with tuberculosis. The hospital closed in 1955 and was eventually repurposed in the 1980s as a home for elderly patients. In 1998, 282 elderly patients were evacuated, and two died under the cloak of darkness. Afterward, the federal government concluded that the evacuation endangered patients’ lives and was unnecessary. Since then, the building has stood as a testimony to New York’s philanthropy, public good, and history.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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By BrownleeMary – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Brooklyn Naval Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in the United States. It operated between 1838 and 1948. The complex is a New York City landmark on the National Registry of Historic Places. In 1811 the hospital was declared a health risk, unsanitary due to a flooding pond and mildew. In 1825, the secretary of the Navy purchased extra land and reestablished the hospital at a different location. Finally, in 1838, the completed hospital continued its expansion, including a pharmaceutical laboratory. By 1863, the hospital housed up to 450 patients.<\/p>\r\n

During the first World War, the complex expanded with another wing, a nurse’s quarters, and additional four buildings. By this point, pushed to capacity by the war, the hospital could accommodate 3,000 patients. All 37 buildings were repurposed to accommodate 65,187 patients at the beginning of World War II. The hospital was dissolved in 1948 and has since stayed abandoned. Currently, all the structures are awaiting conversion into production space. The remaining buildings include a surgeon’s house, main building, quarters, nurses housing, carriage houses, stables lumber shed, and the morgue. The adjacent cemetery houses around 8,000 graves.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Renwick Smallpox Hospital<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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By Chris6d – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The hospital’s impressive, regal structure is reminiscent of European castles. The Smallpox Hospital first opened on Roosevelt Island<\/a> in Manhattan<\/a> in 1856 and housed about a hundred beds. It was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a landmark in 1976. Currently, it is the only ruin on the list of New York City’s landmarks. Pending a 4.5 million stabilization project, the ruin will be available for viewing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The hospital structure is reminiscent of a Gothic revival style. Curiously, all the windows on the third floor are unique and taper into pointed arches. We can only speculate what prompted such a departure from a traditional Gothic style. In 1875, the hospital closed its doors and became a medical training center. Sadly, since the 1950s, the structure underwent continuous decline. Folks can get a truly spectacular view of this architectural marvel from the west by traveling on the East River. Given its beauty, the Renwick hospital became a staple of popular culture and literature. It was featured in the Shadow Hunter <\/em>series, City of Bones<\/em>, Grand Theft Auto IV<\/em>, Marvel comics<\/em>, Spider-Man<\/em>, and the 1993 movie For Love or Money<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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