Potter's Field in the Bronx: Not an Island, a Burial Ground

Potter's Field is not an island. It's a historic public burial ground on Hart Island—a 131-acre island in Long Island Sound, part of the Bronx borough. Since 1869, over one million unclaimed, unidentified, or indigent New Yorkers have been buried there in mass graves.

History and Operation

Purchased by the city in 1868, Hart Island has served as potter's field, prison, TB sanatorium, Nike missile base, and rehab facility. The Department of Correction managed burials using Rikers Island inmates until 2021, when operation transferred to the Parks Department.

Access and Records

For decades, access was severely restricted. Since 2021, monthly public visits are allowed (registration required). The Hart Island Project and city databases now help families locate graves. A 2023 law mandates a searchable online burial registry.

Why the Confusion?

"Potter's Field" refers to the burial ground, not the island itself. Biblical origin: the field bought with Judas's 30 pieces of silver to bury strangers (Matthew 27:7). The name stuck for any municipal strangers' cemetery.

Hart Island is the island. Potter's Field is the cemetery on it. Both are in the Bronx.