Friends of the Ruin was founded in 2017 to preserve the Smallpox Hospital on Roosevelt Island and help open the site to the public.
The building has stood as a ruin for decades. Friends of the Ruin works to stabilize the structure, restore its grounds, and find a way for people to experience the building and landscape together.
The organization is volunteer-run and supported by people who believe this unusual place has a future as a public space.
What we do
Studying the building
Friends of the Ruin has worked with architects, engineers, preservation specialists, and other consultants to understand the condition of the building and determine what is needed to stabilize it.
This work has included studies of the structure, masonry, site, drainage, and landscape, as well as the preparation of drawings for stabilization.
Working with students
Since 2017, Friends of the Ruin has worked with students at Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design. Each year, students study the Smallpox Hospital through drawings, site visits, model making, and presentations.
Talking about the future
Friends of the Ruin brings together Roosevelt Island residents, preservation organizations, public agencies, architects, and historians to discuss the building and its future — conversations that shape questions about preservation, public access, and interpretation.
The organization also leads walking tours and other public programs about the Smallpox Hospital, its history, and its place on Roosevelt Island.
Board of directors
- Hansel Arroyo Hansel Arroyo is a psychiatrist with a private practice in New York City. He trained at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
- Robert (Bob) Balder Bob Balder is executive director of the Cornell Architecture, Art, and Planning program.
- William (Jeff) Black Jeff Black is managing director of Cantaro Capital.
- Betty Chen Betty Chen is a managing director on the investment team at the J. Paul Getty Trust.
- Stephen Martin Stephen Martin is an architect and former director of design and planning at Four Freedoms Park Conservancy.
- Pamela Poland Chen Pamela Poland Chen is a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
- Jonathan Salk Jonathan Salk is a psychiatrist and co-author, with his father, Jonas Salk, of the 1981 book A New Reality.
- Toks Sotande-Peters Toks Sotande-Peters is a director in Barclays’ International Corporate Bank.