The 22-building hospital was one of the largest public health institutions in the U.S, according to the New York Times. In 1914, its staff treated 10,000 people from 75 countries.
After it closed in 1954 the 750-bed hospital and morgue were left abandoned. They have remained out of bounds to the more than three million tourists who flock to the island each year.
Vilseskogen, the New Jersey photographer who took the photos in 2008, said: ‘We walked through old mental wards, infectious disease wards, saw the morgue, and the giant furnace room. It was an amazing experience and you could really feel the history alive, right here and now.’
We have included several pictures for your use. To find them look at the bottom of the page under “Historic Photos”.
For more resources on teaching this era, check out our:
US History PowerPoints:
*Immigration and Urbanization:
*Progressive Era
Classroom History games:
* AMERICAN IMMIGRATION GAME
Covers the three waves of immigration to the United States from Europe. Student teams choose one of seven ports to place their immigrant-laden ships, learning about patterns of immigration to the U.S.