The Hart Island Project

04/24/2026

Neighborhood Stories Exhibit opens today at the Municipal Archives in Manhattan and features an interview about the history of The Hart Island Project

03/10/2026

03/09/2026

Today is International Women’s Day and the search for a record of Dawn Powell’s burial on Hart Island appears to be over. Debra Lape recently found her listed in a city burial ledger from 1976. She was buried In Plot 90 Section II, Grave 26.

There is no marker for this grave but the city ledger page says “Stable Area” The stable was also referred to as a Carriage House.

While it is not unusual for people whose bodies were used for medical research to be buried many years later, Dawn Powell died of cancer in 1965, more than a decade before she was buried on Hart Island. It took a long time to get confirmation but now we know where to visit her. Patricia Palermo

12/18/2025

Landscape of Hope is a proof of concept for how the City of New York could end mass burials on Hart Island and continue to offer culturally acceptable green burials. The project was developed in collaboration with landscape architecture faculty at The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation.

This is "Landscape of Hope Video" by The Hart Island Project on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

12/01/2025

11/20/2025

Before building a visitor center on Hart Island city agencies need to reconsider deep trench burials and switch to individual graves. Legislation passed last week ensuring that alternatives to the current burial practice are considered before Parks Capital Plan moves forward.

The bill would require the city to analyze ways to make the island more suitable for visitors and resilient to climate change.

09/16/2025

We met so many great people at Viva la Sound on City Island last Saturday. Thanks for including HIP

06/18/2025

If you missed our annual meeting last Saturday you can watch the video here:

The Hart Island Project presents research on Landscape of Hope: A Plan to end Mass Burials in NYC and answers questions from the public.

01/06/2025

Hope you can join us on January 9 at 7 PM. Register for this webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pLhj_sV_Sp6hSAF2wSj4ww #/registration

Mass burials on Hart Island - In 1869 New York City opened City Cemetery on Hart Island, now the largest municipal cemetery in the nation.

09/04/2024

While the city is in the process of soliciting public input on the future of the island, expanding mass graves suggests it’s already decided to continue with a burial system that’s been in place since just after the Civil War ended

Critics say the move suggests the city has already decided to continue using the island as a burial ground, despite soliciting public input on its future.

08/27/2024

Sneak peak at our new 360º views for Landscape of Hope. (Just a screenshot for now in our banner) Thank you National Endowment for the Arts for the opportunity.