Unforgotten Minute: Renwick Ruin
How Preservation and Storytelling can Highlight Unique New York City Histories
The Renwick Ruin was originally built in 1856 as part of a series of prisons and hospitals constructed on Roosevelt island during that time. Designed by James Renwick Jr as the first hospital dedicated to the treatment of smallpox the remnant structure is breathtaking, and our city’s only landmarked ruin.
Today, efforts to stabilize the structure and share its story continue, but challenges associated with preserving the ruin remain ongoing.
“Awareness can inspire new ways to preserve our history, and highlight the importance of this New York City Landmark”
Acknowledgments: Brooklyn Arts Council, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs — with special thanks to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Roosevelt Island Historical Society, Friends of the Ruin, Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, and Untapped New York.
Film Location: Roosevelt Island (New York, NY)
Film Team: Aaron Asis Jett Cain, Chalalai Fischbach