The Haunting Abandoned Island In The Middle Of NYC

The Lighthouse

There is little known about North Brother Island before the mid 19th century. It is assumed that the island didn’t serve any real purpose until a lighthouse was constructed out of necessity in 1869.

Starting in 1829, the discussion and construction of this lighthouse was a four decade process of negotiations until it was finally built on the island. In 1883, there was a fence built to separate the lighthouse from the Riverside Hospital, disconnecting the patients even further away from any contact with the outside world.