Cleaning up a piece of Bayside history

One of the oldest pieces of land in Bayside is getting a makeover.
The Bayside Historical Society (BHS) is currently in the process of raising money to professionally restore and clean the Lawrence Cemetery, the only land in Bayside that has been left in its original form.
“The graveyard is generally maintained, but it really needs an update,” said Paul DiBenedetto who is an Executive Board Member of the BHS.
The Lawrence family was one of the first families to settle in Bayside in the 1600s. Lawrence Cemetery holds a great deal of historical significance because many members of the Lawrence family as well as Revolutionary War soldiers, generals and mayors are also buried in the cemetery.
“We want to respect that,” DiBenedetto said.
Marc Lawrence, a descendant of the Lawrence family recently came to Bayside to research his family history with his wife and two children. They were accompanied to the graveyard by Carol Marian, President of the BHS, Geraldine Spinella, Director of BHS, DiBenedetto and Nicholas Monterosso, 15, of Flushing, who is an eagle scout and has helped clean the graveyard in the past.
Meanwhile, DiBenedetto is not limiting his attention to the graveyard because he said there are a number of historical sites in Bayside.
“There’s a lot still left and we would like to preserve it and bring it to the forefront,” he said.
He believes that people should know the history of Bayside and not destroy that history by overdeveloping the area.
“A lot of people haven’t even heard of this cemetery,” Marian said. To change that, the BHS is planning to organize future tours in order for residents and tourists to visit the historic site.
The purpose of the BHS is to “bring more attention to Bayside history,” and “save what we have left,” explained DiBenedetto.