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This article is about the island in New York. For the island in Alaska, see Rat Island (Alaska).

Rat Island is a tiny island that is privately owned and approximately half an acre in size located in City Island Harbor which is a part of Long Island Sound, near New York City. It is about halfway between City Island and Hart Island and south of High Island. It is one of The Pelham Islands.

Description

The small irregular island has an odd dual humped appearance and is mostly a lump of Manhattan schist bedrock. There is a small channel that cuts into the bedrock on the southern side of the tiny island that was used for launching small boats. This channel is filled with mussel shells. There is a purple-bluish "beach" made of mussel shells on the west side of the island with some reed grass. The highest point on the island is usually covered in Gull bird guano and is underwater during high tide storms.

History

Rat Island was included in the purchase by Thomas Pell in 1654. It is believed by the present landowners that the island got it's name because the Prisoners from Hart Island nearby, nicknamed "Rats", used the small island to rest on before swimming on to City Island and freedom. In the 1800s Rat Island was built by the Town Of Pelham New York for use as a typhoid quarantine hospital for about 40 infected people as well as the "Pelham pesthouse" during the Typhoid fever scares. The remains of cobblestone walls and foundations are still there. It was abandoned due to storm floods. Local legends say there was also a lighthouse for a while. New York City purchased the island in 1888. It became a mini colony for writers and artists in the early 20th Century. It was bought by Dr. H.A. Parmentier in 1908. He subsequently leased the island to the Mount Vernon Club in 1931. It was owned by a Brooklyn lawyer until 1972 when it was sold to Red Brennan who still owns it. He said he bought it to do salvage work and store equipment. It is still privately owned. Many local Bronxites still falsely think it is owned by the NYC Department of Parks. In Summer months, it may have as many as 30 people on it, mostly fishermen. Some have tents. The Parks Department has waste drums so they may contain their garbage. Sometimes, the local first responders use it to practice rescue missions with boats and helicopters.

For Sale

On March 25 2009 WABC TV Channel 7 Eyewitness News reported that Rat Island was put up for sale for the sum of $300,000. The owner in Florida Red Brennan says there are no rats on the island. The only mammal ever seen on Rat Island in the last 50 years was a Harbor Seal.

Links

References

1. Rat Island p.551, New York City Guide, Federal Writers' Project, 1939.

40°51′18″N 73°46′51″W / 40.85500°N 73.78083°W / 40.85500; -73.78083

v t e Islands of New York City
Major islands	Long Manhattan Staten
Pelham Islands	The Blauzes Chimney Sweeps City Cuban Ledge Green Flats Hart High Hunter Rat Twin
New York Bay	Castle Clinton Cypress Tree Ellis Governors Hoffman Lafayette Liberty Swinburne Entirely in NJ Black Tom Robbins Reef
Jamaica Bay	Barren Bergen Broad Channel Coney Canarsie Pol Mau Mau Mill Plumb Ruffle Bar
Arthur Kill Kill Van Kull	Isle of Meadows Prall's Shooters
East River Newtown Creek	Berrien's Cob Dock Mill Rock Mussel North and South Brother Randalls and Wards Rikers Roosevelt U Thant (Belmont)
North River (Hudson River)	North Battery Paparinemin Little Island Park
Former islands shown in italics

• Islands of New York City
• The Bronx
• Long Island Sound