Hart Island, Public cemetery island in Bronx County, United States
Hart Island is a narrow strip of land in Long Island Sound, roughly one mile long and covering 131 acres. Rows of flat burial plots stretch across the terrain, where simple interments take place without individual stones.
The island served as a training site for African American soldiers in 1864 during the Civil War. Shortly after, New York City began burying people without family or financial means there.
Relatives arrive by ferry to a specific dock area where they may honor those who rest here without formal markers. Conversations with guides often reveal personal stories of individuals who had no other place to be buried.
Visiting the island requires prior registration with the Department of Parks and Recreation, and ferry trips run once a month. Relatives should expect to spend most of the time accompanied by staff, as unsupervised movement is not allowed.
More than one million people are buried here, making this the largest public cemetery in the United States. Many of the graves carry no names, which turns the search for relatives into a lengthy archival task.
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