
Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Blackwell's Island, is located in Manhattan, New York City. The island was renamed after President Franklin D. Roosevelt to honour disability history, as the president had a disability. The island once housed the Smallpox Hospital, also known as the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, which was the country's first hospital to receive and quarantine smallpox patients. The hospital, built in 1856, closed in the late 1800s after the implementation of a successful vaccine, and it eventually fell into disrepair. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1976 and is set to open to the public after a $4.5 million stabilization project. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary hospital called the NYC Health + Hospitals / Roosevelt Island Medical Center (RIMC) was established on Roosevelt Island to meet the demand for treatment in New York City.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the hospital | NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler |
| Address | 900 Main Street Roosevelt Island New York, NY 10044 |
| Contact number | 212-848-6000 |
| Services | Financial counselors, skilled nursing care, social gatherings, activities, programming, on-site beauty shop, multi-denominational pastoral care |
| Roosevelt Island Medical Center | A temporary hospital opened during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Smallpox Hospital | A hospital located on Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, New York City. It was opened in 1856 and closed in the late 1800s. It is now a ruin and a landmark. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Smallpox Hospital, a ruin on Roosevelt Island, was once a functioning hospital
- NYC Health + Hospitals/ Coler is a nursing care facility on Roosevelt Island
- Roosevelt Island Medical Center was a temporary hospital opened during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Roosevelt Island was previously named Welfare Island and, before that, Blackwell's Island
- The island has a history of accommodating hospitals and other institutions

The Smallpox Hospital, a ruin on Roosevelt Island, was once a functioning hospital
The Smallpox Hospital, now a ruin on Roosevelt Island, was once a functioning hospital. It was built in 1856 and designed by architect James Renwick Jr. in the Gothic Revival style. The hospital, originally intended to accommodate 100 beds, was the first in the country to receive and treat patients with smallpox. At the time, the island was known as Blackwell's Island, and New York residents afflicted with smallpox were legally quarantined at the hospital.
Once a successful vaccine was implemented in the late 1800s, the hospital's purpose became obsolete, and it eventually closed. Over time, the building fell into disrepair, with vandals stripping away its metal detailing and the roof collapsing. Despite this, the structure's facade remained, and it was recognised for its architectural and historical significance. In 1972, the Smallpox Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1976, it was designated a New York City Landmark, the only ruin in the city with this status.
The hospital sits at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, adjacent to Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. The park, which broke ground in 2009, includes plans to stabilise the Smallpox Hospital ruins and open them to the public. This $4.5 million stabilisation project aims to preserve the site, allowing visitors to experience the eerie and romantic atmosphere of the ruins while recalling a specific period in architectural history.
While the Smallpox Hospital is no longer a functioning medical facility, it stands as a memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt and a testament to the island's history. Roosevelt Island itself has a rich history of housing medical institutions, with structures like the City Hospital, the Blackwell Island Lighthouse, and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, all of which have been recognised by the National Register of Historic Places. More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roosevelt Island hosted a temporary acute-care hospital to meet the surge in demand for treatment in New York City.
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NYC Health + Hospitals/ Coler is a nursing care facility on Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Blackwell's Island, is located in Manhattan, New York City. The island was renamed in honour of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, recognising the important role that people with disabilities have played in building American history.
The island was once home to the Smallpox Hospital, also known as the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, which opened in 1856. The hospital was the first in the country to receive patients with smallpox, and New York residents with the disease were quarantined there by law. After a successful vaccine was implemented in the late 1800s, the hospital closed, and the building eventually fell into disrepair. Today, the hospital's ruins are lit from below at night, presenting a regal and sinister sight. They are recognised as a New York City landmark and are set to open to the public following a $4.5 million stabilisation project.
NYC Health + Hospitals/ Coler is a nursing care facility located on Roosevelt Island, offering a range of amenities and activities for its residents. The facility aims to provide a pleasant and healing environment, with engaging activities and quiet gathering spots on its beautiful campus. Residents have the freedom to designate any visitors, regardless of race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public healthcare system in the United States, serving over a million people in New York City alone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a separate, temporary acute-care hospital, the NYC Health + Hospitals/ Roosevelt Island Medical Center, was opened on Roosevelt Island to meet the unprecedented demand for medical care.
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Roosevelt Island Medical Center was a temporary hospital opened during the COVID-19 pandemic
Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, New York City, was once home to the Smallpox Hospital, also known as the Renwick Smallpox Hospital. The hospital was the first in the country to receive and treat patients with smallpox. It opened in 1856 when the area was known as Blackwell's Island, and closed in the late 1800s after the implementation of a successful vaccine. The building was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a New York City Landmark in 1976. Today, it is known as New York City's "only landmarked ruin".
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary hospital called the Roosevelt Island Medical Center (RIMC) was opened on Roosevelt Island. The hospital was established by the NYC Health + Hospitals (HHC), the largest public healthcare system in the United States. HHC serves over a million people in New York City across 70 locations in the five boroughs. The Roosevelt Island Medical Center was opened to meet the unprecedented demand for medical care in New York City due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary hospital accommodated patients with and without COVID-19 who were stable and did not require ICU care. The majority of patients were transferred from other hospitals in the city, including Bellevue, Elmhurst, Kings County, and Lincoln.
The RIMC was a 350-bed hospital, and its establishment was an emergency project that was completed in just 30 days with the assistance of LiRo-Hill. The separate, new space was constructed over a three-week span with the help of unused parts of the NYC Health + Hospitals campus. The hospital officially opened on March 27 and was able to accommodate its first 100 patients that week. Additional beds became available the week of April 13.
The establishment of the Roosevelt Island Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic was a crucial response to the spike in demand for medical care in New York City. The hospital provided much-needed acute care for patients with and without COVID-19, helping to alleviate the burden on the city's healthcare system during an extremely challenging time.
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Roosevelt Island was previously named Welfare Island and, before that, Blackwell's Island
Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, New York City, was previously named Welfare Island and, before that, Blackwell's Island. The island's original name was changed to Welfare Island in 1921 as many of the structures on the island fell into disrepair and became obsolete. The island was then renamed Roosevelt Island in 1973, honouring former President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Smallpox Hospital, sometimes referred to as the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, was a hospital located on Roosevelt Island. It was built in 1856 when the area was still known as Blackwell's Island. The hospital was the first in the country to receive patients with smallpox, and New York residents afflicted with the disease were quarantined there by law. After a successful vaccine was implemented in the late 1800s, the hospital was closed, and the building eventually fell into disrepair. The hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a New York City Landmark in 1976, the only ruin in the city with this designation.
Other notable buildings on Blackwell's Island include the Octagon, built in 1834 as the main entrance to the New York City Lunatic Asylum, which opened in 1841. The Blackwell House, built in 1796, and the ruins of City Hospital, originally built in 1832 for the prison population, were also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The island's namesake, Franklin D. Roosevelt, played an important role in American history as a person with a disability, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park is located adjacent to the Smallpox Hospital on the island's southern tip.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary acute-care hospital, the NYC Health + Hospitals/ Roosevelt Island Medical Center (RIMC), was opened on Roosevelt Island to meet the demand for COVID-19 treatment in New York City.
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The island has a history of accommodating hospitals and other institutions
Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Blackwell's Island, has a long history of housing hospitals and other institutions. The island was once home to the Smallpox Hospital, which opened in 1856 when the area was still known as Blackwell's Island. The hospital was designed by architect James Renwick Jr. in the Gothic Revival style and was the first in the country to receive patients with smallpox. During this time, New York residents afflicted with smallpox were legally quarantined at the hospital.
In the late 1800s, after a successful smallpox vaccine was implemented, the hospital's operations changed. Two wings were added to the original building: the Home for Nurses and the Maternity and Charity Hospital Training School. However, in the 1950s, Charity Hospital and the nurses' school closed, and their functions were relocated to Queens, leaving their structures to fall into disrepair.
In addition to the Smallpox Hospital, Roosevelt Island also accommodated the City Hospital, built in 1832 to serve the prison population at the penitentiary. The island was once home to the New York City Lunatic Asylum, which opened in 1841, with its main entrance, The Octagon, built in 1834. The asylum and its entrance are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In more recent times, Roosevelt Island has continued to be associated with healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NYC Health + Hospitals system opened a temporary acute-care hospital, the Roosevelt Island Medical Center (RIMC). This hospital served patients with and without COVID-19 who did not require ICU care.
Today, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler is located on Roosevelt Island, offering a range of special activities and amenities for its residents and visitors. The campus includes engaging activities, quiet gathering spots, an on-site beauty shop, and multi-denominational pastoral care, fostering a pleasant and healing environment.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there is a hospital called NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler on Roosevelt Island, New York.
The hospital on Roosevelt Island was originally called the Smallpox Hospital and was designed by James Renwick Jr. in the Gothic Revival style. It opened in 1856 when the area was known as Blackwell's Island and was the first hospital in the country to receive patients with smallpox. The hospital closed in the late 1800s after a successful smallpox vaccine was implemented, and the building eventually fell into disrepair. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a New York City Landmark in 1976.
No, the Smallpox Hospital is now an ivy-covered ruin that faces the FDR expressway. However, there is a plan to stabilize the ruins and open them to the public after a $4.5 million stabilization project.
Yes, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary acute-care hospital called the Roosevelt Island Medical Center (RIMC) was opened to accommodate patients with and without COVID-19 who did not require ICU care.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler offers a range of special activities and amenities, including social gatherings, activities, and programming that meets a wide range of interests. They also offer an on-site beauty shop and multi-denominational pastoral care.











































