A deteriorating hospital facility dating back to the 1850s, located on Roosevelt Island.
Few diseases have left a more profound impact on the course of human civilization than smallpox. While the bubonic plague may stand out for its dramatic presentation, diseases like malaria and HIV feel more immediate due to their contemporary presence. However, when it comes to the history of contagion, smallpox takes center stage. With a presence spanning over 3,000 years across the globe, it holds a unique and enduring place in the annals of infectious diseases.
Before the discovery of the smallpox vaccine in 1796, Europe alone witnessed over 400,000 annual deaths from the disease. According to the World Health Organization, smallpox claimed the lives of one in ten children in Sweden and France and one in seven in Russia.
The impact of smallpox extended beyond the general population, affecting notable historical figures. European monarchs, including Louis XV of France, succumbed to the disease. Even Queen Elizabeth I, who had smallpox as a child, resorted to heavy makeup to conceal the resulting pockmarks. Smallpox played a role in historical conflicts as well. In the French and Indian Wars, blankets deliberately contaminated with smallpox were given to Delaware Amerindians, marking an early instance of biological warfare.
Through extensive global vaccination efforts, smallpox achieved a unique status. It became the first and only disease to be completely eradicated through human intervention in 1979, marking a significant triumph in the history of public health. Towards the close of the 1800s, concerted efforts were initiated in Western Europe and the United States to eliminate smallpox through widespread vaccination. However, prior to these systematic vaccination campaigns, numerous cities constructed hospitals dedicated specifically to the treatment of individuals afflicted with smallpox.
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In New York City, the southern tip of Blackwell’s Island, now known as Roosevelt Island, was chosen for its ferry access while keeping infected patients at a safe distance from the general population. Noted for his designs of Grace Church on Broadway and St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Madison Avenue, James Renwick Jr. applied his Gothic Revival style to the smallpox hospital. Operational from 1856 to 1875, the hospital provided treatment for approximately 7,000 patients annually during this period. In 1875, the building underwent conversion into a nurses’ dormitory, and the city’s smallpox hospital was relocated to North Brothers Island, partly due to the increasing population density on Blackwell’s Island. By the 1950s, Renwick Hospital had become obsolete, abandoned by the city, and rapidly deteriorated into a state of disrepair.
In 1975, recognizing the historical significance of the deteriorating structure, the Landmarks Preservation Commission took note of the dilapidated smallpox hospital and designated it as a city landmark in its ruined state. To prevent complete collapse, they reinforced the walls, but the building has not undergone restoration or been opened for tours. Presently, only some of the outer walls and the foundation of the hospital remain. The site is situated behind a fence at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island.