Tensions have been simmering over plans for a new addition to a beloved Olmsted park: A memorial for African Americans whose nearby burial ground was taken over by municipal projects. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Cemeteries”
‘Hart Island’ Gives Voice to Stories That Might Otherwise Be Lost
By Gotham Rex on March 16, 2022
Tracy Weller’s new multimedia theater piece focuses on those buried in New York City’s potter’s field and the inmates who dug the graves there. Source: New York Times
How the Resident of a N.Y.C. Cemetery Spends His Sundays
By Gotham Rex on October 29, 2021
As the director of horticulture for Green-Wood Cemetery, Joe Charap gets to live in an 1876 caretaker’s house on the grounds. Source: New York Times
54 Years Late, Dorothy Parker Finally Gets a Tombstone
By Gotham Rex on August 26, 2021
The beloved author wrote many witty epitaphs but never suggested where her remains should end up. Her fans helped complete her ashes’ odyssey. Source: New York Times
Hart Island’s Last Stand
By Gotham Rex on July 16, 2021
After years of study, the city has declared an emergency to bulldoze most of the buildings on the city’s potter’s field, without following the usual environmental review process. Source: New York Times
How the Yankees’ Luckiest Batboy Ended Up in an Unmarked Grave
By Gotham Rex on April 2, 2021
Eddie Bennett earned fame in the dugouts of the Major Leagues. He had almost slipped from memory when New Yorkers teamed up to honor his short, dramatic life. Source: New York Times
How a Potter’s Field Became a Civil Rights Leader’s Resting Place
By Gotham Rex on January 28, 2021
Relatives of Scott Green are among the hundreds of families who have buried their loved ones on New York City’s Hart Island. Source: New York Times
Uncovering a Cemetery's Lost Black History, Stone by Stone
By Gotham Rex on December 22, 2020
Sourland Mountain, a once-isolated region in New Jersey, has long inspired tall tales. Two local women turned “history detectives” have been trying to recover its true story. Source: New York Times
They Died in the French and Indian War. Their Remains Await Reburial.
By Gotham Rex on December 18, 2020
The bones of British soldiers and colonial militia were disinterred during a reconstruction of Fort William Henry nearly 70 years ago. Source: New York Times
Halloween’s Not Canceled: Here’s How to Make It Spooky but Safe
By Gotham Rex on October 23, 2020
Movies, podcasts, cemetery walks and more: Our guide to enjoying a socially distant fright fest. Source: New York Times
New Yorkers Are Backsliding on Social Distancing
By Gotham Rex on June 16, 2020
Many are disregarding rules, prompting state officials to threaten to reinstate restrictions to guard against another wave of coronavirus infections. Source: New York Times
The Pandemic Upends Islam’s Holiest Month
By Gotham Rex on May 26, 2020
Zoom calls and socially distant food drives have replaced family gatherings and community prayers. Source: New York Times