A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

A Photo Tour Of Beautifully Decaying North Brother Island

Published Feb 21, 2012

Modified Feb 21, 2012

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

North Brother Island, located just off shore from the Bronx in the Hell Gate section of the East River, has a fascinating history: It was once home to a quarantine hospital that housed Typhoid Mary; it's where the General Slocum sank and burned in 1904, killing over 1,200 people; after World War II, the island housed war veterans who were students at local colleges; and in the '50s it was home to an experimental drug treatment program that was mired in corruption. The island has been abandoned for almost half a century now, and the public is prohibited, but the Parks Department still has access too it, and we recently spoke with John Krawchuk, the department's Director of Historic Preservation. Click through on the photos for our conversation with Krawchuk. — Gothamist

John Del Signore

Published Feb 21, 2012

Modified Feb 21, 2012

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Tagged

Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations