The Sandy Ground Cemetery cultural landscape report identifies the critical features worth preserving in the restoration of this final resting place of an early Staten Island community. Our plan reestablishes native plants adapted to the region, specific microclimates, and the site's eponymous soil type, yielding a landscape which thrives with reduced maintenance while honoring the history of the cemetery. 

Staten Island’s Sandy Ground community was founded by free black oystermen migrating in the 1830s from Maryland. While free, these families were subject to repressive legislative measures that inhibited their livelihood and opportunity for economic advancement. The families brought oyster seeding techniques to the depleted waters of New York, extending the oyster industry in the area until it finally succumbed to water pollution in the early 20th century.

Collaboration with Jablonski Building Conservation.