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There were
others on the island besides prisoners. Support staff--guards,
administrators, workers--and their families all called Hart their
home. They lived in large, comfortable houses and walked well-lit,
well-maintained streets.
Men and
women worked here and children played here, as is testified to in these
excerpts from a family history:
My maternal grandparents lived in a beautiful big white house on Hart
Island. Pop was the Superintendent of the Welfare Dept. There was a huge
shelter there for homeless men.
My memories of Hart Island are the most cherished of my life. I lived
all over the world when I was young, but every summer, if we were in the
US, we'd go to Hart Island. There I learned to ride a bike, skate, spell,
and pray.
A good portion of my formative moments are linked with that Island. I
spent many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays there loving it and never
wanting to leave. My heart will be there forever.
Click
here for the full text of this history:
NYC
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