Emily Chan
You may be surprised to learn that the area that is now James J. Walker Park in New York City’s Greenwich Village used to be a cemetery.
In the late 19th century, the park was built on top of the burial ground as part of an initiative to provide more green spaces in the city’s crowded neighborhoods.
Near the northern entrance of the park, there is a white stone monument topped with a replica of a coffin adorned with firefighting tools.
The memorial is a sarcophagus for two young firemen who were killed in 1834 while they were doing their jobs. A large plaque is attached to the memorial’s east side, and it says:
“This ground was used as a cemetery by Trinity Parish during the years 1834-1898. It was made a public park by the City of New York in the year 1897. This monument stood in the cemetery and was removed to this spot in the year 1898.”
Before it was turned into a park, the cemetery was known as St. John’s Burying Ground. It served as the final resting place for about 10,000 individuals for almost a century.
It was associated with St. John’s Chapel of Trinity Parish. Although the plaque on the monument states that the cemetery was created in 1834, other sources suggest that it was in existence as early as 1799.
Trinity Church likely has the most accurate information since it has controlled several cemeteries in Manhattan throughout history.
“The first mention of St. John’s cemetery in our records is in December 1807,” said Kathryn Hurwitz, a church activist. “However, a plan for the layout of the cemetery was not approved until March 1812.”
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