The Smallpox Hospital is an abandoned structure on the southern end of Roosevelt Island which is almost completely in ruins, yet somehow still stands. Built in 1850s to help keep New Yorkers with Smallpox from spreading the disease to others, the hospital was in use for 20 years before the epidemic subsided. After that, the hospital became a maternity ward, then was ultimately abandoned nearly 70 years ago. In this short video from Time Out New York, learn more about the history of the building, the island, and the conservation efforts currently underway.

In the 1850s smallpox was rampant in New York City. The epidemic caused the state of New York to build the first hospital devoted to the treatment of smallpox, The Smallpox Hospital. The hospital has now been abandoned for 70 years, with only its skeleton remaining

Good afternoon! Wishing you a happy Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 from all of us at Viewing NYC!

Here's what the weather looks like in the City right now.

The New York Public Library has an interesting service where you can call a librarian with any question and they will look up the answer for you. Through the phone number, 917-ASK-NYPL, an actual human librarian will attempt to answer your questions through NYPL's vast archives.

Our friends at Great Big Story recently went down to the library to see what it's all about.

At the New York Public Library, you can call a librarian who will answer any researchable question you might have. The help-line has been around for over 40 years, and to this day it receives more than 30,000 calls a year. Need to know the color of an arctic fox's eyes? Ever wonder if there are full moons every night in Acapulco? Well, if Google isn't your thing, these librarians have got your answer.