Historic cemetery, looking to raise money, offers itself up as a wedding venue

The New York Marble Cemetery, which was established in the East Village in 1830 and had its last burial in 1937, has a new business plan — and it doesn’t have to do with death. Instead, the cemetery is allowing events, such as weddings, to be held on the cemetery grounds, according to the New York Times. The cost of renting out the cemetery for a wedding is $2,500, and the revenue generated will go toward repairs and restoration.

The cemetery, which is trying to raise money to fix its broken walls, has also been the locale of a fashion event held by designer Stella McCartney, a photo shoot for Vogue, and has served as the backdrop for TV and movie productions. Its owner was not identified.

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A cemetery trustee and historian told the Times that the cost to rebuild the property’s collapsed north wall would likely cost over $1 million. There’s even an effort now to reach out to solicit donations from descendants of those buried there.

As previously reported, homes located close to graveyards have lower prices. The median sales price within a two-block radius of the New York Marble Cemtery was recorded at $695,000, whereas homes in the 10-block radius had a median sales price of $800,000. [NYT] — Zachary Kussin