Trinity Church Cemetery

Lin Manuel Miranda penned the famous refrain “You have no control: / Who lives / Who dies / Who tells your story?” for his award-winning musical, Hamilton, about the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Fortunately, the legacy of slews of famous individuals — including Hamilton himself — have a palpable trail due in part to their tombstones based in New York City. Read on to learn about 10 famous people buried in New York City.

1. Alexander Hamilton & Eliza Schuyler: Trinity Church

Alexander Hamilton's tomb
Alexander Hamilton’s tombstone in the Trinity Churchyard Cemetery.

As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, the founder of the nation’s financial system, and the country’s first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton was one of the most prominent figures of the American Revolution. A duel between Hamilton and his rival Aaron Burr resulted in Hamilton’s death. He was buried in the Trinity Churchyard Cemetery in Manhattan.

Hamilton’s wife, Elizabeth Schuyler, lived another 50 years after his death. During this period, she co-founded the first private orphanage in New York City. She also helped raise money for the Washington Monument. Schuyler is also buried in the Trinity Church Cemetery close to her husband. While the most notable interment of Trinity Churchyard is Alexander Hamilton, the burial ground consists of numerous tombs that date back to the 17th century, including New York City’s oldest carved tombstone. In addition to the cemetery on Trinity Place, the church established a Trinity Church and Cemetery in Upper Manhattan in 1842.