City Island

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StateCityDemographicsPopulation4,387 (2010)Pop. Density11,441.6/sq mi (4,417.63/km 2)City Island is a in the northeastern in, located on an island of the same name approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long by 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide. City Island is located at the extreme western end of, south of and east of.At one time the island was incorporated within the boundaries of, but the island is now part of New York City. City Island is part of the, a group of islands that once belonged to. The body of water between City Island and the even smaller, uninhabited to the east is known as. The small island adjacent to the northeast is. The, marking the main shipping channel into New York, is off the southern tip of City Island, near the Long Island shore.As of the, the island had a population of 4,362.

Its land area is 0.395 square miles (1.02 km 2). The island is part of, and its ZIP Code is 10464.

1884 nautical chartOriginally inhabited by the band of Indians, City Island later was settled by Europeans as part of property and estate bought by English nobleman in 1654. Prior to that, English settlers led by (seeking religious freedom) settled in an area nearby on the river (now known as the Hutchinson River) in 1642.After changing hands several times, in 1761 the island (at that time known as Minefer's Island), was bought by Benjamin Palmer of New York. Up to this point the island had been inhabited by only a few homes and farms. It had a population of about 1000 people, who tended farms and livestock. Palmer had the vision of developing the island into a port, which could rival that of New York.

He knew that ships heading north and south passed City Island using Long Island Sound as a safe inshore waterway. He envisioned, and stores that could cater to the ships. He went as far as to have the island mapped out in different plots designated as shipyards, docks, business, farms, homes, schools, and houses of worship, along with streets, paths, and access routes.

Benjamin Palmer appealed to the British Crown and received that covered the ownership of waterfront properties 400 feet out from the high tide mark under water and around the perimeter of the Island. This patent, known as the 'Palmer Grant' is unique to City Island; it has been contested in courts since, but has always been upheld.Palmer also is responsible for changing the name from Minefer's Island to City Island in anticipation of things to come. Palmer's vision never fully materialized, however, as the timing just before the halted all progress, and the war depleted the capital of Palmer and his investors. It would be another sixty years before the island again started to be developed when oystermen, pilots of, a set of nearby narrows, and eventually shipbuilders arrived and introduced these industries.In 1819, City Island was annexed to the town of,. It narrowly voted to become a part of New York City in 1895, in exchange for a new bridge to the mainland, and was consolidated as part of the Bronx in 1898.

The island continued to host harbor defenses through the early 20th century. In the mid-20th century, City Island developed as a shipbuilding community, before becoming a daytrippers' destination. City Island has generally remained sparsely developed with a suburban feel. A 43-unit complex called On the Sound, built in 2015, was the first major residential project on the island since around 2000.According to local tradition, anyone actually born on the island is known as a 'clamdigger'. A City Island resident not born on the island is known as a 'musselsucker.' Demographics As of the the island had a population of 4,362.For census purposes, the New York City government classifies City Island as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called Pelham Bay-Country Club-City Island.

Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Pelham Bay-Country Club-City Island was 26,583, a decrease of 557 (2.1%) from the 27,140 counted in. Covering an area of 917.45 acres (371.28 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 29.0 inhabitants per acre (18,600/sq mi; 7,200/km 2). The racial makeup of the Pelham Bay-Country Club-City Island neighborhood was 62.0% (16,488), 2.9% (773), 0.1% (36), 3.6% (969), 0.0% (5), 0.4% (110) from, and 0.9% (252) from two or more races. Or of any race were 29.9% (7,950) of the population.The entirety of Community District 10, which comprises City Island, Co-op City, Country Club, Pelham Bay, Schuylerville,Throgs Neck and Westchester Square, had 121,868 inhabitants as of 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 81.1 years.: 2, 20 This is about the same as the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.: 53 (PDF p. 84) Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 20% are between the ages of between 0–17, 26% between 25–44, and 27% between 45–64.

The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 9% and 18% respectively.: 2As of 2017, the median in Community District 10 was $59,522. In 2018, an estimated 14% residents of Community District 10 lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in eleven residents (9%) were unemployed, compared to 13% in the Bronx and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 45% in Community District 10, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018, Community District 10 is considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not.: 7 Land use. Mary Star of the Sea Roman Catholic ChurchMost businesses are clustered along the central City Island Avenue. There are two small supermarkets, a gas station, a pharmacy, a bank, a hardware store, and a variety of other small shops.

The island is most famous for its numerous restaurants and antique stores, which line both sides of the avenue.At the southernmost section of City Island is Belden Point, named for William Belden, a developer who opened an and resort in the area in 1887. In the early part of the 20th century, the area was a favored recreation location for business tycoons including,. Today, Belden Point is home to a number of popular seafood restaurants. A new public greenspace was dedicated in 2016 at its waterfront tip.In 1960 City Island became the last community in New York City to get dial telephone service.

Until then eight operators in a private home on Schofield Street connected all calls. The dial exchange began as TUlip 5, now 885.Geology City Island was created by deposits at the end of the last. There is a layer of and then a thick layer of red topped with, with topsoil above that. The southern end has deposits of rare blue clay. The area is strewn with boulders.

Local bedrock is with.Endemic wildlife The forms of animal life on the island are not much different from that of the surrounding region, and are typical of a suburban:, and occasional. And have also been sighted.The real diversity of wildlife on and around City Island is among birds, especially species. There are many varieties of;,. Are common, as are, and several types of. A small protected wetlands area on west Ditmars Street is home to many of these species as well as the.Bright green , originally imported from South America as pets, have adapted to the climate and breed in the wild in New York.

They are a common sight on City Island and in nearby. Rafters of wild turkeys also are often seen in the park. Deer are occasionally seen on the island, although more commonly in Pelham Bay Park. Another, nonnative species of the island is the, which has adapted to life among the island's growing community.Activities. Fish restaurants on City Island at City Island Avenue Local businesses and attractions The island is famous for its restaurants; is a popular specialty. Over 30 eating establishments compete for business, ranging from fast food (Johnny's Reef), to The Lobster Box, to the French Bistro SK, and The Black Whale, famous for its desserts. The Snug is an Irish pub connected to the City Island Diner.

While a few of the restaurants close during the winter months, most are open year-round.The displays maritime artifacts and antiques. It is located at 190 Fordham Street and is open only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (other times by appointment). Admission is five dollars and there is a small gift shop. The building was PS17 in its prior life.The Island has landmarks such as the Samuel Pell Mansion on City Island Avenue, near St. Mary Star of the Sea Church.

It is where Arsenic and Old Lace (1969) was filmed for TV. There are a number of old mansions located throughout City Island, mostly on the Sound side, complete with tall pointy spires and gables with gazebos, such as Delmours Point on Tier Street.The City Island Theater Group is the local community theater that produces shows year round.City Island Gold Honey is produced by honeybees from the six hive apiary of the Kheck-Gannon family on Minnieford Avenue. It is marketed by the Kaleidoscope Gallery.

Apiary tours and Beekeeping lessons are available.Boating. City Island as seen from Orchard Beach in the winter of 2007The island has three clubs situated on the side of the island. They are, from north to south, the, the, and the Morris Yacht and Beach Club. The Touring Club is on the west side of the island.

Barron's Boatyard, the North Minneford Yacht Club and the South Minneford Yacht Club are on the east side of the island. There are two active sail lofts (UK-Halsey and Doyle). The island also has several commercial.The island has what are called 'special anchorages' where boats of all sizes are freely moored or anchored, and there are many docks with boat slips for mooring boats in a secure and restricted way. There are also many large piers around the island that can receive large ships.The island is home to the Sailing Team, whose fleet of dinghies is docked at. The team comes from Manhattan four times a week to practice off the western shore of City Island. 's Sailing Team sails out of Morris Yacht and Beach Club.

Many of the boats which competed and won in the in years past were built in the on City Island. The Eastchester Bay Yacht Racing Association is the major organizer for sailboat races in the area. Sailboats are the active one design racing fleet on the island.A small fleet of head boats takes paying passengers on fishing trips to. Smaller boats are also available for rent by the day. The sail and power boating industry has been declining in recent years, as boatyards are being sold and being converted into. Media A local paper, The Island Current, is printed ten times a year, and chronicles mostly community issues and local news.

Police and crime City Island is patrolled by the 45th Precinct of the, located at 2877 Barkley Avenue in Throggs Neck. The 45th Precinct ranked 28th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. With a non-fatal assault rate of 53 per 100,000 people, Community District 10's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 243 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.: 8The 45th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 75.1% between 1990 and 2019.

The precinct saw 3 murders, 19 rapes, 143 robberies, 243 felony assaults, 99 burglaries, 543 grand larcenies, and 125 grand larcenies auto in 2019. Fire safety City Island is served by the (FDNY)'s Engine Co. 70/Ladder Co.

53, located at 169 Schofield Street. Health births are more common in Community District 10, which comprises City Island, Co-op City, Country Club, Pelham Bay, Schuylerville, Throgs Neck and Westchester Square, compared to other places citywide, although teenage births are less common. In Community District 10, there were 110 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 10.3 teenage births per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).: 11 Community District 10 has a low population of residents who are. The former, now the City Island Nautical MuseumPublic schools on City Island are operated by the.The School of St. Mary Star of the Sea was a Roman Catholic grade school, serving grades PreK-8 on City Island, until it closed in the end of the 2012-2013 school year., located on City Island Avenue, serves grades K-8 for the island.The former houses the City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum. It was listed on the in 1984. Library The (NYPL)'s City Island branch is located at 320 City Island Avenue.

The branch has been operating since 1903, but moved to its current building in 1970; a renovation in 1997 doubled the size of the branch. The City Island branch contains a 'ship collection' of over a thousand ship-related media, as well as a collection of materials about City Island's history. Religion Houses of worship are Saint Mary Star of the Sea Holy Roman Catholic Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, and Temple Beth El. Transportation. New City Island Causeway BridgeStarting in 1760, a small rope ran between the mainland and City Island. In 1873 a bridge was built by a syndicate of City Island businessmen, including G.W. Horton, Ben Hedgeman, and David Carll.

It was replaced by steel, three-lane in 1901. The New York City Department of Transportation had proposed replacing it with a cable-stayed bridge hanging from a 160-foot tower but the design faced intense community opposition and the city submitted a redesign which was approved. A temporary bridge was used from December 2015 until October 2017 which allowed for the demolition of the old bridge and the construction of its replacement. The New City Island Causeway Bridge opened to traffic on October 29, 2017.There is another small, private bridge on the northeastern end of City Island connecting it to, site of the radio transmitter for (660 AM) and (880 AM). A security gate prevents public access.The connected City Island to Pelham Bay Park from 1887 to 1919. Originally composed of two separate railroads, the ( 1,067 mm) horsecar route was operated by the Pelham Park Railroad Company, which ran service between the Bartow station of the and Brown's Hotel on City Island. The 3.2-mile (5.1 km) route was complete by 1892.

The, which operated part of the modern-day, absorbed the two companies in 1902 and started designing its own in 1908. The monorail's first journey in July 1910 ended with the monorail toppling on its side. Although service resumed in November 1910, the monorail went into in December 1911, and the monorail ceased operation on April 3, 1914.

In July 1914, the IRT sold the company to the, which ceased operation of the City Island Railroad on August 9, 1919.Today, the only public transportation to City Island are two bus routes operated by the. The island is served by 's local route, and two rush-hour extended round-trips of the express route. The Bronx Tourism Council runs the City Island Seaside Trolley. In popular culture Films. A very early film shot in a City Island studio was (1912), the oldest surviving American. The movie (2009), starring and, is set on City Island and was shot there.

. EDT Hart Island, sometimes referred to as Hart's Island, is located at the western end of, in the northeastern in. Measuring approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) long by 0.33 miles (0.53 km) wide, Hart Island is part of the archipelago, to the east of.The island's first public use was as a training ground for the in 1864. Since then, Hart Island has been the location of a, a, a, a with mass burials, a homeless shelter, a boys', a jail, and a drug rehabilitation center. Several other structures, such as an amusement park, were planned for Hart Island but not built. During the, were stationed on Hart Island. The island was intermittently used as a prison and a homeless shelter until 1967, and the last inhabited structures were abandoned in 1977.

The island now serves as the city's potter's field, run by the until 2019, when the voted to transfer jurisdiction to the.The remains of more than one million people are buried on Hart Island, though since the first decade of the 21st century, there are fewer than 1,500 burials a year. Burials on Hart Island include individuals who were not claimed by their families or did not have private funerals; the homeless and the indigent; and mass burials of disease victims.Access to the island is restricted by the Department of Correction, which operates an infrequent ferryboat service and imposes strict visitation quotas. Burials are conducted by inmates from the jail. The Hart Island Project, a public charity founded by visual artist Melinda Hunt, has tried to improve access to the island and make burial records more easily available. Prior to 2019, several laws to transfer jurisdiction to the Parks Department had been proposed to ease public access to Hart Island. Contents.Etymology There are numerous theories about the possible origins for the island's name. In one, British named it 'Heart Island' in 1775 due to its organ-like shape but the 'e' was dropped shortly after.: 75 A map drawn in 1777 and subsequent maps refer to the island as 'Hart Island'.: 75 Other names given to the island during the late 18th century were 'Little Minneford Island' and 'Spectacle Island', the latter because the island's shape was thought to resemble.: 75Another theory, based on the meaning of the English word ', which means 'stag', is that the island was named when it was used as a game reserve.

Another version holds that it was named in reference to deer that migrated from the mainland during periods when ice covered that part of Long Island Sound.: 19: 140 Geography Hart Island is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) long by 0.33 miles (0.53 km) wide at its widest point. It lies about 0.33 miles (0.53 km) off the eastern shore of City Island.: 75 The island's area is disputed; according to some sources, it is 101 acres (41 ha),: 75 while others state that it is 131 acres (53 ha). Hart Island is isolated from the rest of the city: there is no electricity and the only means of access is via ferryboat. 1884 Nautical Chart Early history Before European colonization, Hart Island was occupied by the tribe of, who were indigenous to the area. In 1654, English physician purchased the island from the Siwanoy as part of a 9,166-acre (37.09 km 2) property.: 75: 140 Pell died in 1669 and ownership passed to his nephew Sir John Pell, the son of British mathematician. The island remained in the Pell family until 1774, when it was sold to.

It was later sold to the Rodman, Haight, and Hunter families, in that order.: 75 According to Elliott Gorn, Hart Island had become 'a favorite pugilistic hideaway' by the early 19th century. Bouts of held on the island could draw thousands of spectators.: 140The first public use of Hart Island was training the of the beginning in 1864.: 15 A called John Romer shuttled recruits to the island from at the southern tip of Manhattan.

A commander's house and a recruits' barracks were built; the barracks included a library and a concert room;: 75 it could house 2,000 to 3,000 recruits at a time, and over 50,000 men were ultimately trained there.: 76In November 1864, construction of a on Hart Island with room for 5,000 prisoners started.: 75 The camp was used for four months in 1865 during the. The island housed 3,413 captured soldiers.: 16 Of these, 235 died in the camp and were buried in. Following the Civil War, indigent veterans were buried on the island in soldier's plots, which were separate from the potter's field and at the same location. Some of these soldiers were moved to in 1916 and others were removed to Cypress Hills Cemetery in 1941. Addition of cemetery The first burials on Hart Island were those of 20 soldiers during the American Civil War.

On May 27, 1868, New York City purchased the island from Edward Hunter, who also owned nearby, for $75,000.: 141: 18 City burials started shortly afterward. In 1869, a 24-year-old woman named Louisa Van Slyke, who died in, was the first person to be buried in the island's 45-acre (180,000 m 2) public graveyard.: 138 The cemetery then became known as 'City Cemetery' and 'Potter's Field'.By 1880, The New York Times described the island as 'the of ', comparing an expansive cemetery in Brooklyn with a historically poor neighborhood in Manhattan. The newspaper also said of Hart Island, 'This is where the rough pine boxes go that come from Blackwell's Island', in reference to the influx of corpses being transported from the hospitals on modern-day.

The potter's field on Hart Island replaced two previous potter's fields on the current sites of and in Manhattan. The number of burials on Hart Island exceeded 500,000 by 1958. Juxtaposition of uses Hart Island was used as a during the 1870 epidemic. In that period, the island contained a women's called The Pavilion, which was built 1885, as well as a.

There was also an industrial school with 300 students on the island. After an 1892 investigation found the city's asylums were overcrowded, it was proposed to expand those on Hart Island from 1,100 to 1,500 beds. Convalescent Hospital on Hart Island, 1877In the late 19th century, Hart Island became the location of a boys', which was an extension of the prison and almshouse on Blackwell Island. A workhouse for men was established in 1895, and was followed by a workhouse for young boys ten years later.: 141 By the early 20th century, Hart Island housed about 2,000 delinquent boys as well as elderly male prisoners from Blackwell's. The prison on Hart Island grew; it had its own band and a prison chapel.: 77 The cornerstone for the $60,000 chapel was laid in 1931 and it was opened the following year.In 1924, John Hunter sold his 4-acre (1.6 ha) tract of land on Hart Island's west side to Solomon Riley, a millionaire real estate speculator from. Riley subsequently proposed to build an amusement park on Hart Island, which would have served the primarily black community of in Manhattan.: 141–142 It was referred to as the 'Negro ' because at the time, African Americans were banned from the and amusement parks in the New York City area.: 142 Riley had started building a dance hall, boardinghouses, and a boardwalk, and purchased sixty steamboats for the operation.: 142 The state government raised concerns about the proposed park's proximity to a jail and hospital, and the city condemned the land in 1925.

Riley was later paid $144,000 for the seizure. After World War II The prison population of Hart Island was moved to during, and Hart Island's former workhouse was used as a disciplinary barracks by the. Rikers Island soon became overcrowded with prisoners.: 142 The reopened Hart Island as a prison following the war, but the facilities were considered inadequate.

The New York City Board of Estimate approved the construction of a homeless shelter on the island in 1950; it was intended to serve 2,000 people.: 78 The homeless shelter operated from 1951 to 1954;: 142 it was also used to house. Residents of nearby City Island opposed the inclusion of the homeless shelter.: 142 The New York City Welfare Department closed the homeless shelter and the Department of Correction regained control of the island.: 78 The Department of Correction opened an alcoholism treatment center on Hart Island in 1955. A courthouse, which ruled on cases involving the homeless, was opened on Hart Island. The island housed between 1,200 and 1,800 prisoners serving short sentences of between 10 days and two years.In 1956, the island was retrofitted with. Battery NY-15, as the silos were known, were part of the base from 1956 to 1961 and were operated by the army's 66th Antiaircraft Artillery Missile Battalion. The silos were underground and were powered by large generators.: 142 Some silos were also built on.

The integrated fire control system that tracked the targets and directed missiles was at Fort Slocum. The last components of the missile system were closed in 1974.Construction of a new $7 million workhouse on Hart Island to replace the existing facility was announced in 1959. A baseball field was dedicated at the Hart Island prison the following year. It was named Kratter Field, after, a businessman who had donated 2,200 seats saved from the demolished stadium.: 142 The seats deteriorated after being outdoors for several years, and by 2000, had been donated to various people and organizations.The island continued to be used as a prison until 1966, when the prison was closed due to changes in the penal code.: 79: 142 After it closed, a center was proposed for Hart Island. The center became, which opened in 1967; it quickly grew into a settlement with 350 residents and a vegetable garden.

Phoenix House hosted festivals that sometimes attracted crowds of more than 10,000 people.: 141 Phoenix House published a newsletter known as The Hart Beat and organized baseball games against other organizations such as City Island's and 's teams.: 79 In 1977, after regular ferry service to Hart Island ended, Phoenix House moved from the island to a building in Manhattan.: 142Since then, proposals to re-inhabit the island have failed. In 1972, the city considered converting it into a residential resort but the plan abandoned. New York City mayor created a workhouse on the island for persons charged with misdemeanors in 1982 but not enough prisoners were sent there.

Six years later, another proposal called for a homeless shelter and a workhouse to be built on Hart Island, but this plan was abandoned because of opposition from residents of City Island.: 142 Abandonment of structures and use as cemetery. Map from 1966Originally, City Cemetery occupied 45 acres (18 ha) on the northern and southern tips of Hart Island, while the center two-thirds of the island was habitable. In 1985, sixteen bodies of people who died from were buried at the southern tip of Hart Island, away from the rest of the corpses, because it was believed that the dead AIDS victims would contaminate the gravediggers with the disease. The first pediatric AIDS victim to die in New York City is buried in the only single grave on Hart Island with a concrete marker that reads SC (special child) B1 (Baby 1) 1985.: 83 Since then, thousands of AIDS victims have been buried on Hart Island, but the precise number of AIDS victims buried on the island is unknown.From 1991 to 1993, New York artist Melinda Hunt and photographer Joel Sternfeld photographed Hart Island for their book of the same name, which was published in 1998.

Hunt subsequently founded the organization in 1994 to help the families and friends of those buried on Hart Island. Another media work, the 2018 documentary One Million American Dreams, documents the history of Hart Island and delves briefly into the lives of various individuals buried there.There is a section of old wooden houses and masonry institutional structures dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries that have fallen into disrepair. Military barracks from the Civil War period were used prior to the construction of workhouse and hospital facilities.

In the late 2010s, the Hart Island Project and City Island Historical Society started petitioning for Hart Island to be listed on the (NRHP). The labeled the island a 'site of historical significance' in 2016, given that Hart Island met three of the four criteria for being listed on the NRHP.The island was significantly affected by in 2012, and some of the shoreline was eroded, which exposed many of the skeletons buried on the island. Following this, the city announced a restoration of the shoreline. The federal government gave $13.2 million toward the shoreline project in 2015, but the work was delayed for several years.

The start of restoration was initially slated for 2020, but in August 2019, the city announced that shoreline work would begin the following month. That December, control of the island passed to the. Cemetery Hart Island contains New York City's 131-acre (0.53 km 2), or public cemetery. The potter's field is variously described as the largest tax-funded cemetery in the United States, the largest-such in the world, and one of the largest mass graves in the United States. More than one million dead are buried on the island, though since the 2000s, the burial rate has declined to fewer than 1,500 a year.

One-third of annual burials are infants and stillborn babies, which has been reduced from a proportion of one-half since the began to cover all pregnant women in New York State in 1997. According to a 2006 New York Times article, there had been 1,419 burials at the potter's field during the previous year: of these, 826 were adults, 546 were infants and stillborn babies, and 47 were dismembered body parts. Burials The dead are buried in trenches. Babies are placed in coffins, which are stacked in groups of 100, measuring five coffins deep and usually in twenty rows. Adults are placed in larger pine boxes placed according to size, and are stacked in sections of 150, measuring three coffins deep in two rows.: 138 There are seven sizes of coffins, which range from 1 to 7 feet (0.30 to 2.13 m) long.

Each box is labeled with an identification number, the person's age, ethnicity, and the place where the body was found, if applicable. Inmates from the jail are paid $0.50 per hour to bury bodies on Hart Island.The bodies of adults are frequently disinterred when families are able to locate their relatives through DNA, photographs and fingerprints kept on file at the Office of the Medical Examiner. There were an average of 72 disinterments per year from 2007 to 2009. As a result, the adults' coffins are staggered to expedite removal.: 138 Children, mostly infants, are rarely disinterred. Regulations stipulate that the coffins generally must remain untouched for 25 years, except in cases of disinterment.: 78Approximately half of the burials are of children under five who are identified and died in New York City's hospitals, where the mothers signed papers authorizing a 'City Burial.' The mothers were generally unaware of what the phrase meant.

Many other interred have families who live abroad or out of state and whose relatives search extensively; these searches are made more difficult because burial records are currently kept within the prison system. An investigation into the handling of the infant burials was opened in response to a criminal complaint made to the New York State Attorney General's Office in 2009.Burial records on microfilm at the Municipal Archives indicate that until 1913, burials of unknowns were in single plots, and identified adults and children were buried in mass graves. In 1913, the trenches became separate to facilitate the more frequent disinterment of adults. The potter's field is also used to dispose of amputated body parts, which are placed in boxes labeled 'limbs'. Ceremonies have not been conducted at the burial site since the 1950s.: 83 In the past, burial trenches were re-used after 25–50 years, allowing for sufficient decomposition of the remains.

Since then, however, historic buildings have been demolished to make room for new burials.: 139 Because of the number of weekly interments made at the potter's field at the expense of taxpayers, these mass burials are straightforward and are conducted by Rikers Island inmates, who stack the coffins in two rows, three high and 25 across, and each plot is marked with a concrete marker. A tall, white peace monument was erected by New York City prison inmates at the top of a hill that was known as 'Cemetery Hill' following World War II and was dedicated in October 1948. Disease victims' burials Hart Island has also been used for burials of disease victims during epidemics and pandemics. During the 1980s, those who had died from were the only people to be buried in separate graves. The first AIDS victims' bodies were delivered in body bags and buried by inmate workers wearing protective jumpsuits. When it was later discovered that the corpses could not spread HIV, the city started burying AIDS victims in the mass graves. In 2008, the island was selected as a site for mass burials during a particularly extreme flu pandemic, available for up to 20,000 bodies.During the, Hart Island was designated as the temporary burial site for victims of if deaths overwhelmed the capacity of mortuaries; this option was chosen in lieu of using city parks for such a purpose.

Deaths at home within the city had increased significantly, though the corpses were not tested for COVID-19. Preparations for mass graves began at the end of March 2020. Early the next month, reported that private contractors were hired to replace inmate labor for mass grave burials. Although several media sources reported that burials had begun, New York City mayor clarified that Hart Island was only being used to bury unclaimed corpses, as well as the bodies of those who chose it as a burial place.

Records Many burial records were destroyed by arson in late July 1977. Remaining records of burials before 1977 were transferred to the in Manhattan; while records after that date are still kept in handwritten ledgers, these are now transcribed into a digital database that is partially available online. A (FOI) request for 50,000 burial records was granted to the Hart Island Project in 2008. A lawsuit, concerning 'place of death' information redacted from the Hart Island burial records, was filed against New York City's government in July 2008 and was settled out of court in January 2009. Notable people buried Those interred on Hart Island are not necessarily homeless or indigent.

Many of the dead either had families who could not afford the expenses of private funerals or were not claimed by relatives within a month of death. Notable burials include the playwright, film screenwriter, and director, who died alone and in poverty, and was buried there in 1951. The American novelist was buried on Hart Island in 1970, five years after her death, after her remains had been used for medical studies and the of her estate refused to reclaim them. Academy Award winner, who was found dead in 1968 in an tenement, was buried on Hart Island because his remains could not be identified in a timely fashion., the, and, was buried on Hart Island after his body was found floating in the. Aerial view facing west showing Hart Island (lower right), with (left) and part of the mainland Bronx (top), in 2010 Public engagement Hart Island Project Founded by New York artist Melinda Hunt in 1994, the Hart Island Project is a devoted to improving access to the island and its burial data. The organization helps families obtain copies of public burial records; arranges visits to grave sites; and operates a website to help people find relatives interred on the island. Historian writes:'s song about the unnamed Mexican migrant dead has had a long resonant history.

Hunt, in an emotionally related gesture, has researched, for years, in order to publish the names of as many as 850,000 who lie in 101 acres of Hart Island where the city buries its anonymous dead.Since 2009, the city has given burial records for the island to the Hart Island Project. In turn, the organization maintains an online database of burial records from 1980 onward. The project has led to reforms of access to Hart Island such as opening the island monthly to everyone and legislation that requires the Department of Correction to publish burial records online.The Hart Island Project has digitally mapped grave trenches using (GPS) data.

In 2014, an interactive map with GPS burial data and storytelling software 'clocks of anonymity' was released as the 'Traveling Cloud Museum', which collects publicly submitted stories of those who are listed in the burial records. Traveling Cloud Museum was updated in 2018 to include a map created with images collected by a drone.

The map displays nearly 69,000 intact burials and allows people who knew the deceased to add stories, photographs, epitaphs, songs and videos linked to a personal profile, as well as identify AIDS victims.In 2012, hosted an art exhibition of people whose graves were located through the Hart Island Project with Hunt's help. The Hart Island Project also collaborated with British landscape architects Ann Sharrock and Ian Fisher to present a landscape strategy to the New York City Council and the Parks Department. Sharrock introduced the concept that Hart Island is a natural burial facility and outlined a growing interest in in urban settings. Legislation On October 28, 2011, the New York City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice held a hearing titled 'Oversight: Examining the Operation of Potter's Field by the N.Y.C., Department of Correction on Hart Island'. Legislation passed in 2013 requires the Department of Correction to make two sets of documents available on the Internet: a database of burials and a visitation policy. In April 2013, the Department of Correction published an online database of burials on the island.

The database contains data about all persons buried on the island since 1977 and is composed of 66,000 entries. Transfer to Parks Department A bill to transfer jurisdiction to the was introduced on April 30, 2012. The Hart Island Project testified in favor of this bill on September 27, 2012, but the bill was not passed.The bill was reintroduced in March 2014, and Bill 0134 had a public hearing on January 20, 2016. The bill ultimately failed because neither the Parks Department nor the Department of Correction supported the move. The Parks Department stated that the operation of an active cemetery was outside its purview while the Department of Correction preferred that another city agency take control of Hart Island.In 2018, City Council member and three colleagues re-introduced the bill a second time. In supporting the bill, Rodriguez stated that he wanted relatives of Hart Island's deceased to be able to access their loved ones' graves.

The bill was passed in the New York City Council in November 2019, with most council members voting in favor of transferring jurisdiction to the Parks Department. The following month, mayor signed the legislation, as well as three other bills, including one that would allow the ferry service to be operated by the.

Hart Island ferry pierThe only access to Hart Island is by ferryboat. Hart Island and the pier on Fordham Street on City Island are restricted areas under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Correction. Family members who wish to visit the island must request a visit ahead of time with the Department of Correction. New York City's government offers no provisions for individuals who want to visit Hart Island without contacting the prison system. The city government allows family members to visit the island and leave mementos at grave sites, and maintains an online and telephone system for family members to schedule grave site visits. Other members of the public are permitted to visit by prior appointment only.The city formerly operated a ferry service between City and Hart Islands, which ran every forty-five minutes during the day and less frequently at night.

The ferries also transported corpses. By the 1960s, two ferryboats were used for the Hart Island ferry service; the Michael Cosgrove (built 1961) and the Fordham (in service 1922–1982).: 78 The service was extremely expensive to operate; in 1967, about 1,500 people per month used the service and the city spent $300,000 per year to keep it running. By 1977, the city had discontinued frequent ferry service and provided seven trips a day. The Department of Correction offered one guided tour of the island in 2000. Following the signing of a bill in 2019, the ferry was to be operated at a higher frequency by the New York City Department of Transportation.The process of visiting the island has been improved due to efforts by the Hart Island Project and the. An group named the Interfaith Friends of Potter's Field and another organization called Picture the Homeless has also advocated for making the island more accessible.: 144 In July 2015, the Department of Correction instituted a new policy, wherein up to five family members and their guests were allowed to visit grave sites on one weekend per month. The first visit took place on July 19, 2015.

Visits to individual graves, which take place twice a month, are restricted to individuals who had a close relationship with the deceased. Visits to Hart Island's gazebo, which occur once a month, are available to the general public.

The ferry leaves from a restricted dock on City Island. In 2017, the city government increased the maximum number of visitors per month from 50 to 70. The Department of Correction has opposed further loosening of restrictions on accessing Hart Island; a The New York Times article quoted a Corrections official as saying: 'As long as D.O.C. Runs the facility, we are going to run it with the D.O.C. See also.References Notes. The New York Times. February 27, 1869.

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