Off-limit to the public for over 35 years, Hart Island — a mile-long island off the eastern coast of the Bronx — has remained one of New York City's most closely guarded secrets. It is the home of New York's “potter's field,” for those who can't afford to pay for burial, or whose identity is unknown.

Does every state have a potter's field?

"So anybody who could afford it would choose to be buried in a cemetery rather than potter's field." Every city had a potter's field, but many details and laws rely on the given place. ... Today, almost every city in the U.S. cremates unclaimed people, and potter's fields burials have fallen out of use.

Where is Potter's Field in the Bible?

The original potter's field takes its name from the Bible, specifically the book of Matthew in the New Testament. In chapter twenty-seven, Judas Isacariot returns the thirty pieces of silver the high priests gave him in exchange for betraying Jesus.