Staten Island may be New York City’s least populated borough, but it is still home to plenty of eerie sites. From abandoned hospitals to once-prosperous theaters, the borough holds a long list of abandoned places waiting to be discovered. The borough even has a lost graveyard for boats that is New York City’s only remaining commercial marine salvage yard. Here are 10 abandoned places to discover on Staten Island.
1. Seaman’s Retreat Hospital
In the 1930s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt created public hospitals across the United States. But the history of medicine at this site on Staten Island dates far before these 20th-century efforts. Known originally as the Seaman’s Retreat, this site was one of two locations created for the recuperation of returning merchant seamen. The 36-acre parcel of land was purchased from the Cornelius Corson family, which had a farm here.
As for the main colonnade building of the Seaman’s Retreat, it still stands due to its landmark status, though the area around it is mostly used for car parking. In the warmer months, ivy almost completely covers the southern pavilion. Yet, the quality of the construction and materials speaks to the building’s relatively decent exterior condition — the granite ashlar material remains completely intact (albeit in need of a power washing). The copper pediment and frieze that frame the top of the pavilions and the dormer windows have protected the upper structures. A separate landmarked building, the Physician in Chief’s residence also still stands just around the corner from the northern pavilion.