Location and Description

The Lawrence Family Graveyard stands at the southeast corner of 20th Road and 35th Street in the Steinway/Ditmars section of Astoria, Queens. The half-acre plot is enclosed by masonry walls and iron fencing and today lies mid-block within a residential grid. It contains approximately 89 graves. (Landmarks Preservation Commission, designation report, April 19, 1966.)

Historical Background

According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, burials here date to 1703, when Major Thomas Lawrence was interred. The site remained in family use into the twentieth century; Miss Ruth Lawrence, described as the last family member resident in Astoria, was buried here in 1956. The roster includes numerous officeholders and military figures connected to the Astoria/Newtown branch of the family.

Burials

Prominent interments named by the LPC include Major Jonathan Lawrence (1737–1812), a Revolutionary War figure and public official. Period journalism and later local histories expand the list, but the LPC remains the most authoritative single synopsis.

Landmark Designation and Stewardship

The site was designated a New York City Landmark on April 19, 1966 (LP-0136). The designation report emphasizes both the historical significance of those buried and the aesthetic character of the grounds. Local volunteers and caretakers restored the cemetery after episodes of vandalism in the mid-twentieth century.