Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Second Cemetery of the Congregation Shearith Israel

Second Cemetery of the Congregation Shearith Israel

New York's unstoppable progress turned this cemetery into the smallest burial ground in the city.

New York, New York

Added By
Michelle Ferlito
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Most of the headstones can no longer be read.   Beyond My Ken on Wikipedia
The cemetery’s obelisk.   Beyond My Ken on Wikipedia
The single cemetery gate.   Beyond My Ken on Wikipedia
Scene from the gate (2024)   yello10 / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
The sign, as of 2024   yello10 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This tiny cemetery, the smallest in Manhattan, was once only a corner of the Second Cemetery, built by the Congregation Shearith Israel.

The triangular cutoff of the Second Cemetery of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (the cemetery's full name) tucked away on West 11th Street is a result of the implementation of the New York City grid system, which was placed directly over the burial land. Before the grid system and concrete transformed Manhattan, Greenwich was surrounded by agriculture, and cows were said to have wandered through the cemetery after its establishment in 1805. However in 1830, the City of New York paid $1,099 to the Congregation Shearith Israel to disinter bodies and place infrastructure. The ones that remained in the corner are buried unusually deep due to the layers of dirt added to level the ground.

The graveyard as a whole was created as a secondary site to the main burial ground at Chatham Square, where the bodies of disease victims (mainly yellow fever), and other people not directly connected to the congregation could be buried. 

Despite the oxidized plaque bearing the site's statement of purpose, the cemetery is misperceived by many New Yorkers as an overgrown garden or small back yard. A peek behind the iron bars reveals deteriorating tombstones with mostly illegible engravings, a tall obelisk, and a single above-ground tomb.  

Related Tags

Catacombs And Crypts Cemeteries

Community Contributors

Added By

michelleferlito

Edited By

ElliotWilson, Allison, yello10, wherearewedude...

  • ElliotWilson
  • Allison
  • yello10
  • wherearewedude
  • hormanbrian
  • redchuck

Published

July 10, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/10/22/manhattans_smallest_graveyard_sliced_in_two_by_west_11th.ph
  • http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=5985#more-5985
  • http://www.neatorama.com/2012/10/22/The-Smallest-Graveyard-In-Manhattan/
  • http://www.newschoolfreepress.com/2012/03/07/across-from-lang-a-forgotten-graveyard/
Second Cemetery of the Congregation Shearith Israel
72 W 11th Street
New York, New York, 10011
United States
40.735065, -73.997826
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Camilo Egas Mural at the New School

New York, New York

miles away

Jefferson Market Library

New York, New York

miles away

C. O. Bigelow Apothecary

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 406
Stories 90

Nearby Places

Camilo Egas Mural at the New School

New York, New York

miles away

Jefferson Market Library

New York, New York

miles away

C. O. Bigelow Apothecary

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 406
Stories 90

Related Stories and Lists

Unique Cemeteries in New York

List

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • Underground tombs

    Nagcarlan, Philippines

    Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

    The crypt under this cemetery's chapel was used as a meeting place by Filipino revolutionaries.

  • William Edward Minahan Crypt

    Green Bay, Wisconsin

    Crypt of Dr. William Edward Minahan

    The secluded resting place of a local historical figure who perished during the sinking of the Titanic.

  • Tiered catacombs

    Birmingham, England

    Warstone Lane Cemetery Catacombs

    A hidden gem in the middle of the city's infamous Jewelry Quarter.

  • Sligo, Ireland

    Grave of W. B. Yeats

    This cemetery overlooking the Benbulben rock formation is the final resting place of one of Ireland's most beloved poets.

  • Laeken Cemetery Crypt in 2008.

    Brussels, Belgium

    Laeken Cemetery Crypt

    This recently restored crypt was once plagued by liquefying coffins and exploding caskets.

  • A corridor in the Mountain View Mausoleum.

    Altadena, California

    Mountain View Mortuary and Cemetery

    This magnificent mausoleum is as much a work of art as it is a historic resting place.

  • The Tower of Memories.

    Wheat Ridge, Colorado

    Tower of Memories

    A seven-story 1920s mausoleum outside Denver houses thousands of remains.

  • Cemetery of the Poor Clares

    Ischia, Italy

    Poor Clares Convent Cemetery

    Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.