The Haunting Abandoned Island In The Middle Of NYC

Holy, Mossy Remains

It is hard to make out that this used to be the island’s second chapel; now one standing wall, bits of the floor and a moss covered tree, the chapel has almost completely disappeared. Made of wood, the structure has practically vanished into the aggressively growing forest that is slowly swallowing the island whole.

A community built under such stress and heartbreaking and life-threatening conditions surely needed a source of faith and prayer; which is why they had two. Although the establishment looks as if it was never valued, we understand that the city was nothing without it. Now that we have seen what North Brother has become today, let’s take a look back on its interesting history.

Origin Of North Brother

While North Brother Island was in use, the victims of smallpox would only remain on the island while they were in their contagious period or they would be buried there. Once they had recovered they were permitted to leave the island and return home.

A program of vaccination based on the work of Edward Jenner, who had discovered that infection with a weak version of the disease, cowpox, provided an effective barrier that prevented people from catching full-blown smallpox, had been run out worldwide and effectively eliminated the disease globally. Smallpox victims could be removed from the city and placed in the sanitarium on the island where they would be cared for by medical staff who had already suffered from and recovered from the disease.