1Abandonments have the command to shock and engage us. While adventuring through forsaken rooms, rusted collections, and dark hallways, one views the vestiges of what once was. Decay is alluring, and represents unlimited time and nature, but it also provides a sense of where we have been and how that made us who we are. The abandoned jewel of our heritage, the Ellis Island Hospital complex in Northern New Jersey, still carries the spirits of Ellis Island immigrants in search of the American dream. Considered a part of the historical trilogy of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal and its massive rain shed was not only the conduit to a new home for many Ellis Island immigrants, but also an essential artery for travel within the United States. Discover how nature's green hands beautify the verandas of a vacant New Jersey hospital and see a marvel of technology housed within a derelict pump house along with its collections of oddball artifacts. See how a massive deserted river and harbor defense fort was once a vital cog in the country's national security arsenal. Travel with the author to an honored past and view the remarkable history of Northern New Jersey.