First Shearith Israel Graveyard | |
New York City Landmark No. 0091
| |
 | |
 | |
| Location | 55-57 Saint James Place, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°42′45″N 73°59′54″W / 40.71250°N 73.99833°W |
| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1682 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002689[1] |
| NYCL No. | 0091 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 17, 1980 |
| Designated NYCL | February 1, 1966 |
First Shearith Israel Graveyard, also known as Chatham Square Cemetery, is a tiny Jewish graveyard at 55-57 St. James Place in the Two Bridges neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is the oldest of three Manhattan graveyards currently maintained by Congregation Shearith Israel (Hebrew, "Remnant of Israel"), which is itself the oldest Jewish congregation in North America.[2][3] (The Congregation was formed by Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic Jewish immigrants in 1654.) Today, the cemetery is a mere fragment of its original extent. Only about a hundred headstones and above ground tombs can still be seen in what remains of the old burial ground, which rises slightly above street level. It is the only remaining 17th century structure in Manhattan.[4]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Dolkart, Andrew S. & Postal, Matthew A.; Guide to New York City Landmarks, 3rd Edition; New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004. ISBN 0-471-36900-4; p.41.
- ^ "First Shearith Israel Cemetery". Mary French. December 1, 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
- ^ White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot (2000). AIA Guide to New York City (4th ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5.