Ellis Island – the name is famous worldwide as one of the United States’ largest hubs for immigration. But over the decades, the island served as much more than just a place for arrival. Split between New York and New Jersey, its New Jersey half held a sprawling immigrant hospital that was a place of both hope and despair. Today it stands as a decaying monument to the island’s rich history – and it’s open for those who want to brave its grounds.
The Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital is a sprawling complex, easy to see from harbor tours.
InSapphoWeTrust/Wikipedia
As late as the 1950s, it was a key part of the island and played host to countless arrivals to the United States.
Public Domain/Wikipedia
It specialized in treating immigrants, both those who were sick when they arrived and those with a condition that needed to be treated before they were allowed into the United States.
Edwin Levick/Wikipedia
But isn’t Ellis Island a New York institution? Not exactly - a landmark 1998 Supreme Court ruling granted around 83 percent of the island, including the hospital, to New Jersey.
National Park Service/Wikipedia
The hospital has been off-limits to the public since 1954, but organized tours have begun to fund its restoration. Its psychiatric wing used to serve as a Coast Guard brig.
Z22/Wikipedia
The most significant part of the hospital is its contagious disease ward, where tuberculosis and measles patients were housed.
Z22/Wikipedia
Tuberculosis is highly contagious, so the patients were placed in isolation wards that look like eerie apartment buildings.
Z22/Wikipedia
The autoclaves used to sanitize mattresses are still intact, although long out of use.
Z22/Wikipedia
The operating room hasn’t hosted a surgery in decades, but remnants of its sterile environment are still clear.
Z22/Wikipedia
It’s not all historic, though. As part of the effort to restore the island’s historic sites, the hospital plays host to modern art murals celebrating the immigrant experience.
Rhododendrites/Wikipedia
Have you visited Ellis Island? If you’ve taken the supplemental Hard Hat tour and explored the abandoned hospital, let us know about your experience in the comments section. To find out more about the hospital and how to visit, make sure to check out the official Save Ellis Island webpage.
InSapphoWeTrust/Wikipedia
Public Domain/Wikipedia
Edwin Levick/Wikipedia
National Park Service/Wikipedia
Z22/Wikipedia
Rhododendrites/Wikipedia
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Address: Ellis Island Immigrant Building, New York, NY 10004, USA
