NEW YORK MARBLE CEMETERY OWNERSHIP & RESTORATION FAQS

As the mortar loses its lime and is reduced to sand, the Cemetery’s walls are crumbling. Where they have been undermined to the north, a large stretch of wall has buckled and toppled. Emergency stabilization in the spring of 2000, funded by the 1906 endowment, is only a stop-gap measure. Each month reveals more sections disintegrating. The opportunity to restore the wall with the family plaques will be here for only a few more years. The dynamism that spurred the growth of 19^th century New York – exemplified by the contributions of the Marble Cemetery’s original owners - swept away almost all the physical remains of the early city. The Cemetery is one of the very few places in New York City that is just as it was in 1830. It deserves to be saved.

Who are the owners? How many are there?

The 1831 incorporation provides for ownership to pass by will or, in cases of intestacy, to the next of kin. Unless there is evidence to the contrary, the Cemetery considers all the living descendants of the last owners of record to be the current owners. There could be 200,000 by now, but only 2,000 have been able to be identified and contacted. Please help by providing the Cemetery with your cousins’ names.

How many burials can each vault hold?

One vault had 40 burials in a little over 100 years. Forty adult coffins wouldn’t fit in all at once, but half were small children. Also, over time, everything disintegrates. A wooden casket could be added every few years ad infinitum. Most vaults have not been used since the late 1800s and would now appear empty.

Who is entitled to burial?

All owners and their families may be buried in their vaults. No vault may be used in a commercial manner. An affidavit outlining the owner’s line of descent from the owner of record and stating his family’s right to burial must be delivered prior to burial. This can be filed years in advance in case of future need.

What is the Cemetery’s current financial position?

At year-end 2002, the Cemetery had a restoration and endowment fund of $286,000. This includes $100,000 of Permanent Care funds required by state law not to be spent. There is $100,000 still owed for emergency stabilization work (Phase I of the restoration) completed in the spring of 2000. The first $1,900,000 from the capital campaign will go towards restoration. Contributions beyond that will replenish and enlarge the endowment.

Are financial reports available?

Yes. Please let the Cemetery know if you would like a copy of the most recent annual balance sheet and income statement.

May I buy a new marble tablet for my vault or recarve the old one right now?

Please be patient. Until the North Wall is rebuilt, there won’t even be a place to mount the tablets of many families. The relatively sound South Wall needs to be completely repointed, so even there it is not yet feasible. About a dozen plaques are in perfect condition, several dozen might be candidates for recarving, and the rest should be replaced. When the time comes, each family for whom representatives have been found will be able to decide for itself what should be done with its tablet. Then, for the sake of uniformity, it will be handled by the Cemetery.

Is there a plan for annual upkeep? Has my family paid for perpetual care?

The Cemetery has a part-time caretaker. Because there are no individual monuments or delineated plots above ground, the usual concept of perpetual care is not relevant. After restoration, the masonry will be maintained in keeping with the best preservation practices.

What will be done with the Cemetery after restoration?

When the walls have been rebuilt and it is safe for people to visit, the Cemetery will be opened on a regular basis in ways that do not conflict with its primary purpose. By its Act of Incorporation, it is to be used “for the interment of the dead, and for no other use or purpose whatever.” Cemetery families may have gatherings. Walking tours, scheduled visits for the neighborhood, and school groups interested in its historic associations will all be able to benefit from access after restoration. Renewed awareness and appreciation could lead to burials.

Why is the Cemetery still there, when almost all the others on lower Manhattan are gone?

The south side of nearby Houston Street was once lined with cemeteries. The same legislation that prompted the construction of the Marble Cemetery made continuation of earthen burials in these older cemeteries illegal. Each property was owned by a church, though, not by a group of individuals, so after the remains were removed, sale was not cumbersome. There were several attempts in the latter part of the 19^th century to remove the remains from the two Marble Cemeteries and then dispose of the land. The complexity of ownership that increases with each new generation made that impractical, even then.

What is a fair amount for each vault to contribute?

The Cemetery has yet to find any descendants at all for over a third of the vaults. It looks at support from a per capita point of view, not per vault.

Is there a connection between the two Marble Cemeteries?

We are simply close neighbors with much in common. The New York Marble Cemetery, with our entrance on Second Avenue, is older than the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street. Both were built by Perkins Nichols and the underground constuction is probably identical, but we are separate legal entities.