Preserved Fish?

When I walked past the New York City Marble Cemetery on East 2nd Street in Manhattan’s East Village I dutifully read the plaque explaining the significance of this nonsectarian cemetery’s history.  Listed among "other notables interred here" is "Preserved Fish, a prominent merchant..." Preserved Fish? I read it twice.

Who names their child Preserved Fish? Apparently men named Preserved Fish. According to a May 2000 NY Times piece, he was the THIRD consecutive Preserved Fish, of a Rhode Island Quaker clan.  His first name was pronounced with three syllables: Go ahead and say it. Pre-ser-ved. It means “preserved from sin” or “preserved in grace". Natch.  This Preserved Fish was a wealthy banker and merchant who made his money in Whale Oil. 

Bonus Fact: This is the same Fish clan that gave New York its Governor, Hamilton Fish.

To see it for yourself, the New York City Marble Cemetery's gates will be open July 25 from 3-5pm. The gates are rarely open. If you go, you should make sure to pop around the corner to the totally-unrelated-though-similarly-named New York Marble Cemetery, which is only open once a month. This month, it will also be open July 25 from noon-4pm. Good timing.

All photos by Preservator, all rights reserved.