January 07, 2008
Work advancing on Ellis Island reconstruction
Maybe you've seen the recent commericals about the campaign to save the "forgotten" half of Ellis Island -the hospital on the south side of the island where thousands of immigrants were treated, died, or in some cases born, in its 3,000 beds. The non-profit Save Ellis Island has been working to stop deterioration of the buildings and reopen them to the public.
Although the south side of the island is almost never open for tours, progress was clearly evident last week without even stepping off the ferry boats that shuttle tourists from the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island.
This Saturday, January 12, the Museum of the City of New York will hold a screening of Lorie Conway’s new documentary "Forgotten Ellis Island: The Extraordinary Story of America’s Immigrant Hospital." She'll be there signing copies of her companion book by the same name, which is filled with historical images of the hospital and accounts from Ellis' patients. The event is free with regular museum admission (which is a suggested $9 for adults.)
But not all the unrenovated buildngs are on the south side of Ellis Island. If you walk out to the Manhattan-facing side of the island, you’ll see the names on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. But on the west side of those walls, there’s a fence dividing off what turns out to be a preview of the decrepit hospital.
While most unrepaired areas are boarded up, some are still open to the elements, like this space, which faces Manhattan:
In April 2007, the renovated ferry building opened for NPS ranger-led tours, but only on certain days of the week. (See NewYorkology pictures of the new ferry building before repairs were complete.)
But one thing that won't be preserved at Ellis Island is the sunken remains of an old ferry boat that used to shuttle immigrants to and from Manhattan. When NewYorkology visited last week on New Year's Day, there was no sign of the sunken ferry, but rangers said it was stil lthere – only visible at certain times of the days . However, the plan is to still remove it, they said.
(See pictures of sticking out of the water it at low tide on an earlier visit.)
And for perspective, here’s the view when departing Ellis Island by ferry. On the right side of the island is the main building of the museum where all the tourists now enter (and the second floor’s grand arrival hall.) Dead straight ahead is the “new” ferry building and the spot where the old ferry remains sunken. On the left side, you can see the remains of the hospital.
Check out NewYorkology's pictures from inside the unrepaired buildings taken during tours in September 2006 and October 2005.
Earlier: Snafu-fraught first day for new Statue of Liberty ferries
Ellis Island adds ghostly photo exhibit of old hospital
January 7, 2008 12:33 PM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, Downtown, History, Museums, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology, Upper East Side
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