Lawrence Cemetery (Queens)
History
The Lawrence Cemetery (also known as the Lawrence Burying Ground or Lawrence Graveyard) is a family cemetery sited on part of the land deeded to John Lawrence (1618–1699) and his younger brother, William Lawrence (1622–1680), in 1645 by Governor Willem Keift. John Lawrence was New York City Mayor in the late 17th century, with terms beginning in 1672 and 1691.
For many years the Lawrence family used the land as a picnic ground called "Pine Grove." There are between forty and fifty graves, with burials beginning in 1832 and ending in 1939. Notable people buried in the cemetery include Cornelius W. Lawrence, Judge Effringham Lawrence, Frederick Newbold Lawrence, and Mary Nicolls Lawrence (second wife of Mayor Andrew H. Mickle.)
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it as a landmark site on August 2, 1967. The designation document states:
"...the Lawrence Graveyard in Bayside, Queens is an important and impressive small burial plot situated in a tree-shrouded landscaped enclosure and ... it contains some handsome headstones marking the last remains of the descendants and heirs of a Seventeenth Century New York family associated with the historical, political and cultural growth of our City and our Country."
References
- ^ Lawrence, Thomas (1858). Historical Genealogy of the Lawrence Family: From Their First Landing in This Country, A.D., 1635, to the Present Date, A.D., 1858. Edward O. Jenkins (printer). Retrieved October 11, 2021.
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: CS1 maint: postscript (link) LCCN 09-11635; OCLC 10819647 (all editions). - ^ "Lawrence Burying Ground". Find-A-Grave. May 8, 2003.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission. August 2, 1967, Number 6. LP-0630. LAWRENCE GRAVEYARD, 216th Street and 42nd Avenue, Bayside, Borough of Queens. [1]
- ^ "About BHS - Bayside Historical Society". baysidehistorical. Retrieved March 2, 2020.