Astor Cross Monument

Trinity Church’s historic cemetery, located near Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, dates to 1681 and was in active use through the 1820s. It serves as the final resting place of many prominent New Yorkers, including Alexander Hamilton and his wife, Eliza. Among its notable monuments is the Astor Cross, erected in 1914 in memory of Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor—a leading figure in New York society and a major benefactor of the Church. Designed by architect Thomas Nash, the monument illustrates the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing lineage from Adam and Eve through Abraham and Isaac to the Virgin Mary.

In 2024, EverGreene Architectural Arts was retained by Trinity Church to perform a conditions assessment and conservation treatment of the Astor Cross, located on the north side of the cemetery. The monument exhibited extensive atmospheric and biological soiling, as well as deterioration associated with long-term weathering and environmental exposure.

EverGreene conducted cleaning tests and mockups to determine the gentlest and most effective treatment methods, which informed the full-scale conservation approach. Scope of work included removal of atmospheric deposits and biological growth, selective removal of gypsum crusts using hand tools and laser cleaning, localized repointing, and replacement of deteriorated bird netting. EverGreene also provided maintenance recommendations to support long-term preservation of the monument.