The Octagon, Roosevelt Island – 2002 – Abandoned Remains

Published on: April 24th, 2015 | Last updated: May 25, 2020 | Written by: Bad Guy Joe

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The octagon was NYC’s first mental health hospital. It was closed in the 1970s and was set on fire multiple times. The wings of the building were knocked down, leaving only ‘the octagon’ shaped building that was previously the main entrance.

Growing up not far away, I got to see the octagon before the interior was completely destroyed. In 2002 I was curious what fate had befallen my old neighbor, so me and M went over to the island to check it out.

The exterior was severely overgrown, and surrounded by a fence that of course had plenty of large holes. The old open main door was sealed up, though a ladder around back showed promise to entering via the second floor.

That plan of course came to a quick end when we saw that there was no second floor. In fact the entire interior was burned to oblivion with wood shards and debris covering the floor.

We walked away that evening not knowing what would become of this structure. Would the historic significance of it save it from complete demolition? What would the restored Octagon look like, and who would take up such a project? Little did we know the entire structure would soon be reborn.

Comments

NOTE: It sometimes takes a short while for comments to be approved - unfortunately there's a lot of spam comments that come in. I absolutely love when y'all share personal stories of friends relatives etc who worked in these places. It really helps capture what these places were like before they closed up shop.

If you're feeling salty, argumentative comments completely devoid of facts (supply links to support your argument) will not be published. Got a case to state? come with the details.

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