Astoria Cemetery Caretaker Needs Help Preserving Backyard Graveyard

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A neighbor in Astoria needs help with some unusual yardwork.

James Sheehan, 93, lives on 20th Road near 35th Street in a townhouse abutting the Lawrence Cemetery — a historic graveyard established in 1703 on behalf of the Lawrences, a prominent Queens family including Revolutionary War officers, judges and public officials.

Sheehan has taken care of the cemetery for over six decades, since inheriting the property from his father-in-law, but has long-worried about its upkeep: he pays for repairs out of pocket, and has reportedly had to deal with a broken wall and nearby dumping as of late.

Neighbors are now hoping to raise $5,000 to help the 93-year-old preserve the cemetery. Nearly $500 has been raised so far, according to the GoFundMe.

The cemetery — which is one of two Lawrence family graveyards, the other in Bayside — is private, but Sheehan has repeatedly said that he has no problem giving tours to people who are interested.

In fact, the graveyard caretaker, says that the cemetery is a place of happy memories for him.

"We have some good memories," Sheehan told NY1 earlier this month of the cemetery and his adjacent property, which is where he and his wife raised their children.

"I mean some people might think morbid about this thing here but there's no such thing, it’s a beautiful place," he said.

Find out more information about the cemetery, and how to donate, here.