The complex, established in 1918, originally operated as a women’s prison. Following a rise in the criminal activities of young women in New York City during and after World War I, it began receiving its first female inmates in 1924. By the 1930s, the rate of criminality among women had declined, but the Great Depression brought about widespread homelessness and alcohol issues among men. As a result, the city repurposed the facility, closing the prison and transferring it from the Department of Correction to the Department of Welfare. In 1934, they opened a new homeless camp on the site, which lasted until the 1980s. During that time, an increase in drug use drastically changed life on the streets of New York City. With many mental health facilities closing, chronically ill men joined the ranks of the homeless. Local residents began to voice concerns over finding syringes in their yards, prompting police to conduct regular sweeps of the area, often encountering fugitives. In 1999, as part of a settlement with the County, control of the facility was passed to Volunteers of America, which implemented stricter safety and screening measures. A perimeter fence was also erected in 2002 to improve security. As crack cocaine replaced alcohol as the drug of choice among the homeless, the shelter environment became increasingly associated with crime, including muggings near the old Erie Railroad tracks and frequent public lewdness and drug use. In November 2006, New York City officials announced the closure of the camp as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to combat homelessness. In 2007, the administration started relocating residents to subsidized housing or other shelters to prepare for the closure. The camp officially shut down in 2008, and the abandoned site, which includes around a dozen structures such as the sizable Main Building, East and West Barracks, along with a Warehouse, Fuel Depot, Pump House, and Recreation Building, has remained vacant since then.