Visiting the (Unmarked) Grave of Murray Hall

Recently, Project co-director Ken Lustbader visited the grave site of Murray Hall, a gender non-conforming Tammany Hall politico whose Greenwich Village residence, at 457 Sixth Avenue, we’ve mapped as an NYC LGBT historic site. Here’s Ken’s story about his visit:

“I live near the apartment where Murray Hall resided in the Village, so his story is present in my daily life. I felt it was important to honor Hall’s memory by visiting his grave and made a visit to Mount Olivet Cemetery in Maspeth, Queens. Hall was buried on January 19th, 1901, three days after he died. I wasn’t sure what I’d find since, most likely, no one had been there in years or even decades. Unfortunately, Hall’s grave is unmarked, which is what you see here. I found the grave site after cemetery staff shared Hall’s ledger card with me (pictured), which included his name and grave location. It’s rather sad that there’s no tombstone to commemorate his life, but the visit was still incredibly meaningful and poignant for me. I may have been the first visitor in a very long time. Now, when I walk by Hall’s residence, I feel a bit more connected to him, knowing that I paid a visit to his grave.”

Photos by Ken Lustbader.