Hart Island - the city's potter's field and mass burials

Hart Island, off the Bronx shoreline, has been used by New York City as a potter's field since the 19th century and contains mass graves for unclaimed, indigent, and unidentified deceased; burials are managed historically by the Department of Correction and the city's agencies. The island's restricted access, large number of unmarked graves, and history of emergency and pandemic burials (including recent COVID-19 burials) have made it a focal point for public interest, journalism, and advocacy around burial records and memorialization. Hart Island is documented in municipal records, archaeological studies, and news reporting.