Lawrence Family Graveyard, Astoria

This private family cemetery is located at 20th Road and 35th Street in Astoria.

Another Lawrence Family Cemetery is located in Bayside. A third Lawrence family cemetery at Ditmars Boulevard and 37th Street in Astoria was destroyed.

The grounds, as much as they are visible, are beautifully maintained. There is no public access to these grounds, but I am told access might be possible by appointment. From the outside it appears that some of the stones are of my favorite style, and I would love to see up close. A couple of the larger monuments are visible from the street.

This graveyard was designated a New York City Landmark in 1976. The plaque reads:

LAWRENCE FAMILY GRAVEYARD
In this private cemetery are buried members of one of America's most distinguished families. The first Lawrence to be nuried here was Major Thomas Lawrence in 1703 and the last was Miss Ruth Lawrence in 1956. The roster of family notables includes Major Jonathan Lawrence, patriot, statesman, and soldier in the American Revolutionary war, and twelve other military officers of successive generations from Dutch Colonial days to the Civil War period. Seven of the Lawrences interred here held major government posts. This small cemetery is a reminder of over two and a half centuries of family history. Plaque provided by the New York Community Trust, 1976