When officials of the newly established Diocese of New York
decided to build the city’s first cathedral in 1809, they
selected a site at Mott and Prince Streets that was within the
burying ground of St. Peter’s Church. St. Peter’s, the city’s
first Catholic church, created the cemetery at the beginning of
the 19th century when the graveyard around their church on
Barclay Street became full. In 1801, they purchased several lots
on the northwest corner of Prince and Mott streets, in the area
that is now known as NoLita; an 1803 purchase of additional lots
on the northeast corner of Prince and Mulberry streets enlarged
the new burial ground. When a portion of the cemetery was chosen
as the cathedral site, provisions were made for the relocation
of any graves within the building site to other areas of the
cemetery. Construction on St. Patrick’s Cathedral began in 1809
and was completed in 1815. Between 1811 and 1824, the church’s
property was expanded further by the acquisition of adjacent
lots, and the cemetery