8. Chimney Sweep Islands and High Island
Chimney Sweeps Islands and High Island are part of a collection of 20 islands on the border of Bronx County known as the “Devil’s Stepping Stones.” This name finds its origin in Native American folklore, which stated that a land mass formed whenever the Devil set his foot on the water. The name of these islands also references their barren land, composed of a significant amount of bedrock and little vegetation.
The Chimney Sweep islands have never actually been inhabited by people, but rather bird populations such as seagulls and blue herons have overtaken the barren land. High Island once hosted a short-lived human dwelling, before they were displaced for the construction of a radio transmission tower in 1962. The tower had to be reconstructed a few years later after a small plane crashed into it in 1967.