As I recall in our research we found that one of the cemeteries removed
(not very well done, in March according to some witnesses) the
Methodist one, had been a "satellite" of the main churchyard on the
east side of Second Ave. The church was removed, apparently for a
courthouse, today the famous, still in the courthouse architecture
the "Anthology Film Archives" (32 Second Ave.) on the corner of 2nd
Street and 2nd Ave. (across the street is one of the famous Marble Vault
Cemeteries. It has held famous people, i.e., original Maya researcher,
John Erickson (inventor in marine technology,"Stirling" air engines and
other inventions, a former Village resident, since returned to Sweden.
He is credited with being the inventor of the modern ship propeller,
the "ironclad" USS Monitor, parts of which recently salvaged and opened
on exhibit at Newport News, Virginia by underwater archaeology.) The
former courthouse is a venue for all sorts of media, is rentable, and has
many donors in the media businesses.
When the courthouse was going up, they found that some of the burials
had not been removed and called a special session of the New York
State Legislature, which determined on vote that the burial(s) were to
be handled by the NY State Dept. of Education. Unfortunately, the
records of this proceeding burned in an archive fire in Albany, though the
results of the hearing were published by the "usual" publishers of
government records, so the argument made has been lost to the fire.
This was perhaps how the state museum has come to control
said "problems" and I wish I could have determined, though we only had
the "satellite" to research, what the nature of the interred was and why
the whys and wherefores in Albany were determined such.
Former President Monroe, before the Civil War was long a resident of
NYC and expired was interred in a marble vault cemetery nearby. The
Virginia legislature voted to "carry him back to 'ole Virginny" to the
Hollywood Cemetery there. The whole City of New York stopped to pay
its respects as the former President was taken to the dock it's reported.
Many of the marble vault remains are still being moved to other
locations.
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