An important piece of Jamaica’s history is getting a face-lift.
A total of $1.2 million has been raised by Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and the New York Landmarks Conservancy, through grants and private contributions, to restore Prospect Cemetery, one of the few remaining colonial cemeteries in Queens.
The cemetery, located on 159th Street between Archer and Liberty Avenues, has been a part of the Jamaica community since 1668, with additions built in both the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. However, in recent years it has become dilapidated as well as the target of vandalism.
“I’ve seen the things people do to this place,” said Cate Ludlam, president of the Prospect Cemetery Association, an organization committed to preserving the cemetery. “Headstones are deliberately smashed and broken. The doors of the chapel were ripped off, the stained glass windows were broken, and fires were even set. It’s terrible.”
The chapel on the grounds, known as the Chapel of the Sisters, underwent a restoration, which was completed in September of 2008.
The money allocated by the development corporation and the conservancy will go toward restoring the grounds and the markers of the cemetery.
In Ludlam’s opinion, Prospect Cemetery is a vital part of the community. “This place is a snapshot of history,” Ludlam remarked. “It’s also one of the only green spots left in a highly urbanized area.”
The cemetery is the resting place of Egbert Benson, a politician who served as the first Attorney General of the State of New York and Chief Justice on New York’s Supreme Court.
Ludlam is optimistic about what this restoration will do for the cemetery and the community.
“It will definitely raise the cemetery’s profile,” said Ludlam. “With the restoration Prospect Cemetery can become a place where everyone can learn a lot about Jamaica.”
