I have the honor of leading the All Volunter Mission that is operating and preserving The Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery & Memorial Park, a local Treasure that represents over 350 years of Jersey City history and nature.
The Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery & Memorial Park evolved from the hunting grounds of the Leni Lenape to the vegetable gardens & meadows of our earliest Dutch-settlers, to an encampment site & bunker during the Revolutionary War & War of 1812, & in 1829, became the very first Cemetery Company in the State of NJ. Home to our City's earliest Mayors, Freeholders, leaders, & residents, plus thousands of soldiers from Revolutionary era War of 1812, & Civil War forward, this 6 acre site is a sanctuary, rich with history & historic monuments, small wildlife, ancient wildflowers, colonial plants, & mysterious underground crypts & tunnels. It was tragically abandoned in 2008.
Since then, we Volunteers have operated the Cemetery with no regular revenue or funding, have made major improvements, and have transformed it into a beautiful 6 acre urban Memorial Park & Center for History, Nature, Music, & Art, offering Jersey City green open space, and historical, educational and cultural events and programs for children and adults. We are also housing Veterans, who live onsite in the historic Gatekeeper house, and act as our security & help with our daily volunteers. Together, this summer we created the 'Angels Community Garden', and helped feed the local homeless shelter with weekly fresh vegetable deliveries. We have no regular funding, and rely on individual contributions to operate, pay the bills, maintain equipment, & make repairs. Please help us continue this heartwarming Mission of love!!
Review from #MyGivingStory