By Y.M. Lowy

In our summer series New York Offshore, we take a closer look at the islands scattered across New York City’s waterways. Each one carries its own history, landscape, and role in the life of the city, from lively public spaces to quiet, restricted land surrounded by water. This week we explore Hart Island.

Just off the eastern shore of the Bronx, Hart Island is one of New York City’s most overlooked islands. Hart Island has spent much of its history hidden from public view. Today, it is well known as the location of New York City’s public burial ground, where more than one million people are believed to be buried.

The island’s history stretches back to the Civil War era, when it was used as a training site for Union soldiers. Over the years, Hart Island served many different purposes, including as a military prison, a psychiatric facility, a tuberculosis sanatorium, and a Cold War-era missile base. 

In 1869, Hart Island became New York City’s public cemetery, also known as a potter’s field. It became the final resting place for people who had no family members able to arrange a private burial, those who remained unidentified, and others whose lives ended without the resources for a traditional funeral.

Over the decades, more than one million people have been buried on Hart Island, including adults, children, and infants. 

For many years, the island was difficult for people to access, leaving much of its history unknown. In 2019, control of Hart Island was transferred from the Department of Correction to the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, beginning a new chapter where visitors can now apply to visit.

Hidden in the waters off the Bronx, it serves as a final resting place for countless New Yorkers, preserving a different and often forgotten chapter of the city’s history.