North and South Brother Islands (New York City) facts for kids
The remains of Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island, 2006
|
|
 North and South Brother Islands
Location in New York City
North and South Brother Islands
Location in New York
North and South Brother Islands
Location in the United States
|
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | East River, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°47′54″N 73°53′54″W / 40.798266°N 73.898424°W |
| Total islands | 2 |
| Administration | |
|
United States
|
|
| State | New York |
| City | New York |
| Borough | The Bronx |
The North and South Brother Islands are two small islands in New York City. They are located in the East River, between the Bronx and Rikers Island. North Brother Island used to be home to a hospital for people with serious diseases. Today, both islands are empty of people. They are now special places where water birds can live safely.
These islands were once owned by private people. But in 2007, the United States government bought them. They then gave the islands to New York City. The city decided to make them wildlife sanctuaries.
North Brother Island is about 20 acres (8 hectares) in size. South Brother Island is smaller, about 6 acres (2.4 hectares). The New York City Parks Department looks after both islands. Most people are not allowed to visit them. Sometimes, scientists or reporters get special permission. A park staff member always goes with them.
Contents
History of the Brother Islands
The Dutch West India Company first claimed both islands in 1614. They called them De Gesellen, which means "the companions" or "the brethren". This is how they got their English name, "Brother Islands". Some say navigator Adriaen Block named them.
By the late 1600s, the British owned the islands. In 1695, James Graham was given the islands. But he never built anything there. The strong currents around the islands made it too dangerous.
The islands were first part of Queens County. In 1881, North Brother Island became part of New York County (now the Bronx). South Brother Island also moved to the Bronx in 1964. Before New York City became one big city in 1898, the islands were part of Long Island City.
North Brother Island's Past
North Brother Island was empty until 1885. A lighthouse was built there in 1869. In the mid-1880s, Riverside Hospital moved to the island. This hospital was started in the 1850s to treat people with smallpox. It later treated other serious diseases like typhoid and tuberculosis. During the polio outbreak in 1916, many patients were cared for here.
The oldest hospital building was built in 1885. The newest was the Tuberculosis Pavilion, opened in 1943. But this building was not needed for long. New vaccines for tuberculosis became available after 1945.
A terrible ship accident happened near the island on June 15, 1904. The steamship General Slocum caught fire. The ship ended up on the island's shores. More than 1,000 people died from the fire or by drowning.
Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary, lived on the island for over 20 years. She was a cook who carried typhoid germs. She spread the disease to many people without knowing it. She was sent to the island in 1915 to stop her from spreading the illness. She died there in 1938. Experts believe she infected at least 122 people. Five of those people died.
By the 1930s, the need for a faraway hospital like Riverside Hospital changed. New discoveries in public health meant fewer people needed to be kept separate.
After World War II, the island was used for a short time. It housed war veterans who were students and their families. When the housing shortage ended, the island was left empty again.
Since the 1960s, New York City mayors have thought about different uses for the island. Some suggested selling it. Others thought about turning it into housing for people without homes. The city even considered using it as an extension of the jail at Rikers Island.
Today, North Brother Island is a safe place for herons and other wading birds. It is abandoned and closed to the public. Most of the old hospital buildings are still standing. They are falling apart and are very dangerous. Because of this, only people with special reasons, like scientists, can get permission to visit. A thick forest now covers the ruined hospital buildings.
In 2014, a city official named Mark Levine visited the island. He hoped to open it for limited public visits. In 2016, a study looked into turning the island into a park. But the cost to fix the dangerous buildings and build a dock was too high. So, no changes were made.
In 2017, a reporter and a TV crew visited the island. They showed videos and photos of the abandoned buildings. They said the island was "eerie and beautiful." But they also warned that most buildings were unsafe. Many roofs were gone, and poison ivy was everywhere.
- North Brother Island
-
Kayaker at North Brother Island, with the Caretaker's House in disrepair in the background.
-
Ruins of the ferry dock at North Brother Island.
-
Old Plant at North Brother Island.
South Brother Island's History
In the mid-1800s, South Brother Island was used as New York City's first dump. Garbage, animal waste, and dead animals were sent there. This was done to help clean up Manhattan. However, the island was too close to the Bronx and Queens. Wealthy families and villagers complained about the smell. So, a court ordered the dumping to stop.
Jacob Ruppert, who owned a brewery and the New York Yankees, had a summer house on the island. It burned down in 1909. No one has lived on the island since then. There are no buildings left on South Brother Island today. Ruppert owned the island until the late 1930s. In 1944, John Gerosa bought it. He planned to build small houses for his employees, but they were never built.
In 1975, the city sold South Brother Island for only $10. It was bought by an investment company. The company paid taxes on the island each year. But they never built anything there.
In 2007, the island was bought again. Money from the federal government helped buy it. The Trust for Public Land bought the island. They then gave it to the city's Parks Department. It became a wildlife sanctuary. The Bronx Zoo and the city's Parks Department now manage it. South Brother Island was the 13th island to become part of the Parks Department's care.
Wildlife on the Islands
Both North and South Brother Islands are special places for wildlife. They are part of a protected bird sanctuary.
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, North Brother Island was home to many nesting black-crowned night herons. This was one of the biggest groups in the area. But by 2008, these birds had left the island. No one knows why. Barn swallows now use the old hospital buildings for their nests. You can see them flying over the island.
South Brother Island has thick bushes where many birds build their nests. These include black-crowned night herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, and double-crested cormorants. The New York City Bird Alliance has watched these bird groups for over 20 years.
In a survey from 2019, the New York City Bird Alliance found many nesting birds on South Brother Island. They saw black-crowned night-herons, snowy egrets, and double-crested cormorants nesting there. In fact, South Brother Island had one of the three largest nesting groups of wading birds in the survey. The report did not mention many birds nesting on North Brother Island.
