6. Waters Family Burial Ground was a Native American cemetery removed in 1931
The Waters Family Burial Ground, which was located near Bean & Bean on Northern Boulevard, was a Native American cemetery that was removed in 1931 for the widening of Northern Boulevard. The cemetery was run by the Waters family of Matinecock, Shinnecock, and Montauk ancestry, according to the New York City Cemetery Project.
According to a letter by James Waters, or Chief Wild Pigeon, Native American graves nearby had been previously desecrated with little regard for their history. Waters was outspoken about protecting the family cemetery, which had 13 graves according to a 1919 survey. Waters’ efforts delayed the cemetery’s destruction until 1931 when 30 individuals were reinterred at Zion Episcopal Church.