Not everyone can say they have a cemetery in their backyard. But it’s been part of life for James Sheehan and his family for decades.

"I love the place. The birds, the aroma, the things that are here,” said the 93-year-old Sheehan, who has been taking care of the cemetery on 20th Road and 35th Street in Astoria for six decades.

There are around 100 graves dating back to 1703.

What You Need To Know

  • The Lawrence Family Cemetery in Astoria was established in 1703

  • The Lawrence family was prominent in Queens, with members that included military leaders, public officials and judges

  • James Sheehan has been caretaker at the cemetery for over 60 years

  • Sheehan’s father-in-law had been the previous caretaker

The Lawrences were a prominent Queens family and among those laid to rest in the graveyard are family members who were military officers, including from the Revolutionary War, as well as judges and public officials. Sheehan and his wife Peggy inherited it from her father, who was caretaker here for years, he had inherited it from Ruth Lawrence, the last of the family to live in Astoria. The couple, married for more than 70 years, raised their children here.

"We have some good memories,” said Sheehan. “I mean some people might think morbid about this thing here but there's no such thing, it’s a beautiful place,” added Sheehan.

Sheehan, a retired Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Officer, is concerned more these days about the future of the New York City Landmark, pointing out a broken the wall on 20th Road hit by a truck that he is responsible for fixing, and an unsightly portion of 35th Street adjacent to the cemetery that is not his property.  It's become a popular spot for dumping.

"Look at it, look at this stuff that's here,” said Sheehan as he pointed out bottles, cans and assorted pieces of trash.

Sheehan says he would love some help taking care of the place and the surrounding area. It's not open to the public but he is always willing to welcome folks in. He mainly wants the place treated with respect, just as he has done for all these years.

Sheehan says despite being neighbors with the cemetery, he has never seen any ghosts.

"You gotta have done something wrong to be worried about that, if anything they are telling me now, clean up this place, it looks terrible, and it will be clean, it will be, said Sheehan.

Whether to satisfy ghosts or just clean graves, this amounts to much more than that. Sheehan hopes others will help him hold together this half acre of New York and the nation’s history.