With about three million burials,[1] it has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the United States.

[2][3] Established in 1848, Calvary Cemetery covers 365 acres (148 ha) and is owned by the Archdiocese of New York and managed by the Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

[4] Calvary Cemetery is divided into four sections, spread across the neighborhoods of Maspeth and Woodside.

In 1847, faced with cholera epidemics and a shortage of burial grounds in Manhattan, the New York State Legislature passed the Rural Cemetery Act authorizing nonprofit corporations to operate commercial cemeteries.

The cemetery was named after Mount Calvary, where Jesus Christ was crucified according to the New Testament.

In the early 20th century, influenza and tuberculosis epidemics caused a shortage of gravediggers, and people dug graves for their own loved ones.

As development in Manhattan's East Village expanded, bodies buried in that neighborhood were transferred to Queens.

The Cemetery continues to add plots and burial spaces can be purchased in advance.