1. The Stuyvesant Family Vault Is Beneath St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery

At 131 East 10th Street is St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, the second-oldest church in Manhattan and the oldest site of continuous religious practice in New York. The title of the oldest church in Manhattan belongs to St. Paul’s Chapel of Trinity Church. The church is built atop the tomb of Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of New Amsterdam and a notable figure in the early history of New York City. Stuyvesant died in 1672 and was buried in the family vault under the east wall. As Forgotten NY notes, the vault was closed permanently upon the last family burial there in 1953.

Next, read about Tracing the Patti Smith Trail in NYC from Tompkins Square Park to CBGB. Connect with the author @jen_bagcal.