Artists, writers and some Saint John residents recently became the first visitors to Partridge Island, N.B. in decades.

The visitors travelled to the island on Thursday amidst plans for the government to make the heritage site accessible to the public.

The island, located off the coast of Saint John Harbour, played a significant role in Canada's immigration history during the 19th Century. The government declared Partridge Island a heritage site in 1974.

Thousands of immigrants came to Partridge Island on their way to the new world after it was established as a quarantine station in 1830, according to Canada's Historic Places.

The largest influx came during the Great Famine, or Irish potato famine, in 1847, according to a statement by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. During that time, up to 2,500 Irish immigrants were kept in quarantine on the island to protect Canadians from diseases carried on the ships, the ACOA said.

The visitors saw remnants of immigration history scattered across Partridge Island. The remains included a Celtic cross in memory of the estimated hundreds of Irish immigrants who died while in quarantine on the island, according to Saint John Waterfront's website.

The visitors to the island this week were inspired by the remains, sketching and photographing the military fortifications and ruins left behind as they traversed the breakwater.

"The military structures are quite fascinating and aesthetically quite romantic," artist Greg Charlton told CTV Atlantic. "There's something really quite cool and romantic about them."

The artists traversed through trails and paths clogged with decades of unchecked growth, some of which towered over their heads as they explored the mysterious island.

"But what is beautiful about it is that Mother Nature has said, 'This is my island, and I'm taking it back,'" said Harold Wright, a historian who studies Partridge Island.

More visitors could soon be enjoying Partridge Island as the federal government has funded an engineering report to find out the costs of making the island pedestrian-friendly. The project would include a walkway over the breakwater that would connect Saint John Harbour with the island.

"It would be easy, folks could take a golf cart over or walk across," said Kent MacIntyre, the general manager of Saint John Water Development Corp. Canadians should know next month whether the government will go ahead with funding the plan, he said.

After experiencing firsthand the beauty on Partridge Island, Saint John resident Heather Acker can't wait for others to enjoy the island's rich history.

"It was a great experience to be here with all these people," she said, "and to be part of something that will eventually be even bigger, which is what we all hope for."

With a report from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron