ELMHURST — Less than two months ago, a small group of volunteers in Elmhurst — some of whom no longer live in the neighborhood — was mired in what seemed like a doomed campaign to force an absentee landlord to recognize what lay under its paved-over property: the remains of nearly 300 freed slaves, dating back to 1818.
But a lot can change in a few months. On Friday, dozens of politicians and journalists descended upon the site at 47-11 90th Street for an hours-long press conference about new efforts to properly memorialize the historic burial ground, which is currently being used by the NYPD as a parking lot for towed vehicles.
Time is of the essence: Several years after a previous owner, 90 Queens Inc., defaulted on its mortgage, the company that acquired the mortgage, 90 Street Realty LLC, is now pursuing foreclosure — meaning that the burial ground will soon be up for sale at a public auction.
“The city should not allow these 300 souls to be auctioned off,” said Borough President Donovan Richards. “Do not auction our ancestors. That’s why we’re here.”
Elected officials are pursuing multiple strategies to wrest control of the fenced-off lot. State Attorney General Letitia James last week filed a motion seeking a court order that would require any prospective buyer to be notified of the bodies buried beneath the site, and their legal obligation to protect them. Under the 2023 Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act, landlords cannot disturb a former graveyard without identifying and notifying potential descendants and culturally affiliated groups.
Meanwhile, Richards confirmed that the Department of Buildings will not renew the contract that allows the NYPD to stow towed vehicles in the lot, although it is currently empty.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office indicated that the Mamdani administration is monitoring the situation, and is “prepared to take additional action” if the towing resumes.
Several speakers noted that the simplest resolution would be for the city to buy the site. “At the moment, we have an owner who has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to this hallowed ground,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan. “It is only right for the Parks Department to come forward to purchase this land and preserve it.”
Though the burial ground appears on maps of Elmhurst through at least the 1950s, it was largely forgotten until 2011, when construction workers uncovered the mummified body of 26-year-old Martha Peterson, born in 1824 and now known to locals as “the Woman in the Iron Coffin.”
The church associated with the burial ground, St. Mark’s AME, says it negotiated an agreement with the landlord in 2019 to memorialize the site with a community center, but claims that the plan was not honored and attempts at communication were ignored.
In recent years, concerned residents like James McMenamin and Greg Cassagnol have pushed for greater recognition, and the story began to gain traction in the wake of coverage by the Queens Ledger on August 5 and follow-up reporting by the City Reporter.
“We cannot change the indignities that have already occurred,” said Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry, closing out the press conference. “But we can decide what happens next.”
