Footage from Matthew Chirico’s film
We’ve been tracking the histories and futures of the abandoned Sea View Hospital and Farm Colony on Staten Island for some time now and are excited to bring to our readers even more amazing footage of these abandoned gems. In his latest film project, Matthew Chirico has put together never-before-seen aerial views of Sea View Hospital, once the pride of the city’s health care system, and the Staten Island Farm Colony, a poorhouse that’s stood untouched for over 40 years.
Born and raised on Staten Island, Chirico has been exploring these ruins over the years. Wrought with history, the Sea View Hospital and Farm Colony have plenty to be seen on foot, but aerial footage provides a unique look at the facilities and giving us a whole new appreciation for them.
The Sea View Hospital first opened in 1913 and was once the largest and most renown tuberculosis sanatoriums in the country. Having evolved over the past century into a unique blend of active hospital (operated by NYC Health + Hospitals) and adaptive reuse of many buildings, the facility is poised to become the city’s first planned Wellness Community in Staten Island.
The Staten Island Farm Colony occupies 46 acres of land that used to be a poorhouse that provided room and board to indigent populations in exchange for their labor. At its peak population in the 1940s, up to 1,700 people lived at the Farm Colony. After sitting vacant for the past 40 years, it’s currently undergoing redevelopment into a multi-use complex with age-restricted senior housing, affordable housing, and publicly accessible open space.
Next, check out The Top 10 Secrets of Sea View Hospital on Staten Island and go Exploring Inside the Staten Island Farm Colony with NYCEDC [Photos].