Hart Island of the 21st Century

Christopher Metzler

Professor Albert

Honors DNY Coastal NYC

3 March 2021

Hart Island is one of the many fascinating parts of New York City. It has served many purposes such as being a training ground for “colored” troops, a women’s “lunatic asylum”, a tuberculosis hospital, a prison, and a “reformatory for vicious boys”. (Albert, Silent Beaches… pg. 11). During WWII, it was a prison for German soldiers, and after the war, the northern part of the island was taken over by the U.S. Army to become a missile base. The Department of Parks and Recreation stopped managing the island as of 2016 and handed it over to the Department of Corrections, however, in November 2019, the decision was made to transfer the management of the island back to the Department of Parks and Recreation.

There remain however, many questions and persisting issues regarding Hart Island, one of which, being access to the island. As of early 2019, when the island was still operated by the Department of Corrections, “Families of those buried on the island can visit one Thursday and on Saturday each month, assuming they reserve a spot at least 12 days in advance and come in groups of five or less.” (Guse, NYC pols want public access…) Further, people are not allowed to carry cell phones or any type of camera with them while on the island. This is clearly far from being open and freely accessible, and many people advocate for these restrictions to be alleviated if not outright repealed. Proponents for this argue that because the island now serves as a cemetery, it is only right and just that loved ones can freely come and visit those who have been lost and buried on the island. Furthermore, access to the island is also important to some because it encourages travel and thus a further enrichment of New York City culture within New Yorkers. Personally, I agree with these points of view, however there are certainly hurdles that have to passed in order to achieve this goal. Issues such as getting to the island, when people should be allowed to visit, and paying for the transportation to the island are some to name a few. In regards to getting to the island, I believe simply taking a ferry could work just fine as it does now, or better yet, if a system was in place to allow personal transportation such as a privately owned boat, that could also help to allow people to come and go as they please. Moreover, in terms of payment, I believe a simple payment for a ferry ticket would suffice. I do not believe it should be taxpayer funded, but paid for by whoever chooses to go to the island by ferry.

Despite the popular support for opening up Hart Island, there are certainly legitimate arguments to be made for restricting access to the island. One such argument posed by a woman named Cathy Swett who lives on City Island is that a regular ferry service to Hart Island would overwhelm her community and place a heavy burden on the traffic between her island and the rest of NYC. (Swett, Why a Historic Change…) Furthermore, I can see how a concern may be raised regarding fear of vandalism on the island. It is possible that due to the high levels of restriction on the island for so long, if it were opened up abruptly, there would be a massive influx of visitors, during which time it would be difficult to prevent damage to parts of the island. Likewise, an argument can be made that it is better to not allow as many people on the island in order to maintain its sentimental value and sanctity as a historical site as well as cemetery. With this in mind, it may seem as insulting or degrading to simply allow people to visit and tour the island, taking pictures freely, etc. with over one million estimated people buried there (according to the Department of Corrections.)

Another point of contention is the question of who will pay for oversight of the island. There are different ways I foresee of handling this problem. The first way is to have no oversight other than a semi-frequent check/inspection (monthly for ex.) by the Department of Parks and Recreation. This would be taxpayer funded presumably, but would likely cost less than having officers patrolling the island 24/7, which some argue is not needed for a cemetery. The next option is indeed having 24/7 surveillance officers to ensure no harm or mischief occurs on the island. This would be effective in squashing any possibility for vandalism, but would be more costly. The last option is having absolutely no oversight at all and allowing the people who care about the island and what inhabits it to take care of the island themselves. I truly do not know for certain what the best option would be, but my best conjecture would be the first option, as it is a balance between cost and care for the island.

When it comes to burial rites, people, especially the diverse population of New York, hold very different views. I do not personally hold a strong view one way or the other on the manner in which we bury the dead. I was raised Christian, and so burial is the typically preferred way of handling the deceased. Regardless of my upbringing though, I do believe people should be permitted to bury their loved ones however they so wish as long as it does not somehow infringe on others or the environment. I also believe that a family should have a right to be able to visit a buried loved one at any time, since that body is not the property of the government, but a person who belongs to their family or other loved ones alone. I am startled at the history of Hart Island which is full of mistakes and injustice, whether due to the archaic “reformatory for vicious boys” or the heavy restrictions on visiting and camera prohibition. I am pleased to see progress being made toward the island in the present time, and I am hopeful that the island will be less restrictive and freer in the future.

Lastly, there are many clever and unique ideas being proposed in regards to the burial process to transform it from being environmentally hostile to environmentally beneficial. One idea that is touted as environmentally friendly is replacing the traditional casket with an organic or degradable material such as a wooden casket without glue or paint, a cardboard casket, a woven casket, or even a shroud. Another fascinating idea is the “tree pod” in which a person’s body becomes the source of nutrients for a tree. (Newmen, 11 Environmentally Friendly...) This certainly works and is beneficial to the Earth, however the drawback is that it requires much more space due to the spreading out of the roots and tree itself. Cremation is another option, one which takes up much less room and of course is more environmentally friendly than a traditional casket, although it does burn fossil fuels in the process (Corley, Burials and Cemeteries Go Green). Overall, more research must be conducted concerning burials and their effect on the environment, but I believe soon enough, there will be much better alternatives which take into account both people’s moral standing on burying the dead as well as the ecosystemic impact on the Earth. This will lead to a brighter future for the passed and living who inhabit Hart Island and will bring joy to those who can visit their loved ones as well as learn more about New York City’s rich history for themselves.

View from Hart Island Showing Some of the Few Named Tombstones:

Source:

Delgado, David Dee. “The Messed Up History of New York's Hart Island.” Grunge, 22 Sept. 2020, img1.grunge.com/img/gallery/the-messed-up-history-of-new-yorks-hart-island/intro-1600803986.jpg.

View of the Old "Prison Keep Off" Warning from WWII:

Source:

Prison Burial Ground Hart Island New York Untapped Cities. July 2013, untappedcities.com/wp- content/uploads/2013/07/Prison-Burial-Ground-Hart-Island-New-York-Untapped-Cities.jpg.

Works Cited

Albert, Elizabeth. Silent Beaches: Untold Stories: New York City's Forgotten Waterfront, by Elizabeth Albert, Damiani, 2016, pp. 11–18.

Bauso, Lisa, et al. “Hart Island to Be Transferred to Parks Department and Public Access Increased.” Untapped New York, 19 Feb. 2021, untappedcities.com/2019/11/14/hart-island-to-be-transferred-to-parks-department-and- public-access-increased/.

Corley, Cheryl, and Heidi Glenn. “Burials and Cemeteries Go Green.” NPR, NPR, 16 Dec. 2007, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17232879.

Guse, Clayton. “NYC Pols Want Public Access to Hart Island, Giant City Cemetery Staffed by Prisoners.” Nydailynews.com, New York Daily News, 31 May 2019, www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-hart-island- access-ferry-20190530-mbomdqifmfabfctlufa32s32za-story.html.

Newmen, Ellen. “11 Environmentally Friendly Burial Options.” TalkDeath, 18 Dec. 2020, www.talkdeath.com/environmentally-friendly-burial-options/.

Troshynski, Serena. “Land of the Unknown: A History of Hart Island.” The New York Public Library, The New York Public Library, 15 Jan. 2021, www.nypl.org/blog/2021/01/07/land-unknown-history-hart-island.

Yensi, Amy. “Why a Historic Change Is Looming for Hart Island.” Spectrum News NY1, 31 May 2019, www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2019/05/31/why-a-historic-change-is-looming-for-hart-island.

Background Image Source:

Bjørtvedt, Erlend. “Hart Island, Bronx, 2012 (Cropped).” Wikimedia Commons, 10 July 2012, upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Hart_Island%2C_Bronx%2C_2012_(cropped).JPG.