The National Election: Descendant of Roosevelt Island Indentured Servant Supports John Edwards

I have seen little or no campaigning on Roosevelt Island for the national race for the U.S. Presidency. I saw two Hillary bumper stickers attached to a poster kiosk on Main Street but saw that they were quickly removed by the next morning.

Today while home sick and playing on the Internet I found a letter posted on the John Edwards Blog and also to The Daily Kos from a woman who is descended from a man who came to America as an indentured servant back in 1641 and worked the farm land on what is now Roosevelt Island. Interesting article on why she supports John Edwards but I was more interested in her reference to her long dead ancestor.

Obviously that family has kept alive their family history. Perhaps we can track her down and learn if she knows anything more about her ancestor’s time here on this Island.

Renwick’s Connection to Welfare Island – More Than Just the Smallpox Hospital

Most Roosevelt Island residents and other interested parties know that James Renwick was the architect behind the former Smallpox Hospital (link to RI Historical Walk) now known as the Renwick Ruin (RIHS link) but few people realize he also was in charge of the planning and construction of two other structures which no longer exist on the Island.

The structures Renwick designed, in addition to the Smallpox Hospital, were the Workhouse and City Hospital. Each was eventually razed and no longer has any footprint on Roosevelt Island today. But each was a major part of life here on the Island in their day.

The above image was found on a NYC Department of Corrections webpage regarding its history and connection to Blackwell / Welfare / Roosevelt Island.

Renwick’s NY Times obituary (shown below) discussed all three structures near the bottom of the article in addition to listing each of his major accomplishments. For a full version of the obit double click the image.

Roosevelt Island’s Name Changes – A Short History

What did FDR, Marcus Garvey, and Roberto Clemente all have in common? They each had destinations re-named in their honor by NYC on July 19, 1973. In FDR’s case it was then Welfare Island which was being re-named. The Island bore the name “Welfare Island” for a mere 52 years as opposed to the Island’s prior name “Blackwell Island” which it bore for much longer. The second image below details this discontent with the name change to Welfare Island.

Two Videos 40 Years Apart of Roosevelt Island

These two videos of Roosevelt Island show differing views of or from the same island, Roosevelt Island. The first in 2006 from two teenagers and their comments (occasionally off color) and the second from 1966. Two vastly different videos.

2006 Video Tour - Personal Video



This video is for the most part all at Southpoint and a bit at Lighthouse Park as well as various water views facing out from the island.

Direct YouYube Link by CoolLikeMiles


1966 Video Documentary of Welfare Island.



1966 Video Documentary of Welfare Island. “This short documentary, filmed in 1966, shows the island as it was. Much of the southern part of the island remains in this terrible condition.” It appears to be a non-professional video and quite grainy and the sound has not held up. But it is interesting to see video of the old structures at least for those pictures which are in focus.

Direct YouTube Link by VillagePeop