Unforgotten Episodes

Unforgotten Films looks at a series of historical and inaccessible landscapes in New York City.

Unforgotten: Fort Totten Water Battery (4:56)

“How History and Access Inspires Public Interest in a Remote Queens Park”

The Fort Totten Water Battery was built in 1862 — opposite Fort Skylar in the Bronx — to protect the greater New York City region from invasion during that time. Obsolete and abandoned before it was ever completed -- the Water Battery is a rare civil war era remnant, majestic in its incompletion, and relatively hidden in Northeast Queens.

As the Battery continues to remain unknown to most, investments in preserving history and increasing visitor access has helped inspire public interest in this remote Queens Park.

Featuring: Matt Symons, Joseph Czeisel, Paul DeBenedetto, Justin Rivers

Acknowledgement: NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, NYC Urban Park Rangers, Bayside Historical Society

Film Location: Fort Totten Park (Queens, NY)

Unforgotten: New York State Pavilion (4:37)

“How Creative Collaboration Restored the Integrity of a Historic Queens Icon”

The New York State Pavilion was originally built as a spectacular public structure at the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Designed by architect Phillip Johnson as an icon for the world to see, the pavilion served as a gathering space, a concert venue and even a roller skating rink, before it slipped into the realm of the forgotten.

As the Pavilion has started to emerge over the past decade, creative collaborative efforts, and renewed public interest have helped restore the integrity of this Queens icon.

Featuring: Janice Melnick, Mitch Silverstein, Stephanie Bohn, Gary Miller, Salmaan Khan, Phillip Buehler

Acknowledgement: NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, NYS Pavilion Paint Project, People for the Pavilion

Film Location: Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Queens, NY)

Unforgotten: Hart Island (4:41)

“How Art and Advocacy are Enabling Access to a Mass Burial Ground in the Bronx”

Hart Island was purchased by the City of New York in 1868 — to serve as the public burial ground — off the coast of City Island in the Bronx. Operated by the Department of Correction for over 150 years, Hart Island is a hauntingly beautiful landscape, rich with historic remnants, and a final resting place for nearly a million New Yorkers. 

As visitation to the island remains a challenge, artists and advocates have been working to honor memories and increase access to New York City’s only public burial ground.

Featuring: Carleen McLaughlin, Melinda Hunt, Moses Gates, Freya Powell

Acknowledgement: NYC Department of Corrections, The Hart Island Project, Regional Plan Association

Film Location: Hart Island (Bronx, NY)

Unforgotten: Renwick Ruin (4:41)

“How Preservation and Storytelling can Highlight Unique New York City Histories”

The Renwick Ruin was originally built in 1856 — on the southern end of Roosevelt Island — as part of a series of prisons and hospitals constructed on the island during that time. Designed by architect James Renwick Jr as our nation's first hospital dedicated to the treatment of smallpox — the remnant structure is breathtaking in its abandonment, and stands as our city’s only landmarked ruin. 

As the ruin continues to slowly deteriorate, efforts to stabilize the structure and increase public access highlight the importance of preserving this rare piece of New York City History.

Featuring: Judith Berdy, Stacy Horn, Stephen Martin, and Susan Rosenthal

Acknowledgement: Brooklyn Arts Council, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Roosevelt Island Historical Society , Friends of the Ruin , Four Freedoms Park Conservancy

Film Location: Roosevelt Island (New York, NY)

Unforgotten: Washington Square Arch (5:28)

“How History, Community, and Art can Define an Iconic New York City Monument. Episode Summary”

The Washington Square Arch was built in 1892 — to commemorate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration — in the heart of Greenwich Village. Designed by architect Stanford White as a permanent monument in Washington Square Park the Arch is a majestic marble structure, and stands as one of the city’s most iconic civic landmarks.

As the future of our monuments are being reconsidered — we should all pause to appreciate the cultural significance of Washington Square Park — and its impact on everyone in New York City.

Featuring: Sheryl Woodruff, Nicholas Baume, Karen Karbiener, and Michelle Young

Acknowledgement: Brooklyn Arts Council, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Washington Square Park Conservancy, Public Art Fund, New York University, Walt Whitman Initiative, and Untapped New York

Film Location: Washington Square Park (New York, NY)

Unforgotten: Ellis Island (6:26)

“How History and Access Inspire Personal Connections with the Story of Ellis Island”

Ellis Island originally opened back in 1892 — as the first point of entry for millions of new Americans — in the heart of New York harbor. Created as our nation’s first inspection station for immigration — Ellis was also a medical facility, a detention center, and was completely abandoned, before emerging as a great memorial to diversity and immigration.

But as the future of our immigration story is still being written — efforts to expand public access and increase historic interest continue to define the legacy of this New York City landmark.

Featuring: Stephen Briganti, Stephen Lean, Noah Lumsden, and JR

Acknowledgement: New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Brooklyn Arts Council, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, National Park Service, American Family Immigration History Center,  and JR

Film Location: Ellis Island (New York, NY)