On January 1, 1892, Annie Moore, a teenage
girl from County Cork, Ireland, made headlines as the first immigrant
to be processed at Ellis Island. Her image will forever represent
the millions who passed through Ellis Island in pursuit of the American
dream, and is a symbol for immigrants of all nations that have contributed
to the rich fabric of the United States. On September 15, 2006 noted
genealogists revealed the true identity and story of Annie and her
descendants. At that time it was also discovered that Annie Moore’s
remains lie in an unmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New
York.
Monument Design Concept
The monument design strives to express both the simplicity of the
difficult real life of Annie Moore and at the same time honor the
symbolic place that she holds in both Irish and American immigrant
heritage and history.
Celtic Cross: The primary element is a simple Celtic Cross encircled
by elegant Celtic Knots with a traditional Trinity Knot in the center
of the cross representing Annie’s Irish and Catholic Christian
heritage. The two vertical ends are adorned with cherry blossoms,
symbols of Cherry Street where she lived and died in New York’s
Lower East Side and representative of her new roots in America.
Inscription Tablet: The inscription tablet contains information
about Annie and the six children who are buried with her. Inscribed
are Annie’s full name, dates of birth/death, and a phrase
acknowledging her historic connection to Ellis Island. The tablet
is decorated with an Irish Harp and Shamrocks. Below this are the
names and dates of the children, five of her own and one a child
of a friend. A Gaelic phrase anchors the tablet which translates
to: “May their Noble Souls Rest in Peace.” The inscriptions
are rendered in two Celtic-style fonts.
Tablet Side Decor: Each side of the tablet is adorned with a small
symbol of her story, one from the past and one from the present.
One side has an etching of the gold ten-dollar coin circa 1892 representing
the coin that Annie was presented at Ellis Island. On the other
side is etched the Annie Moore Memorial Project logo with the future
installation date.
Irish Stone: The monument will be constructed from Irish Blue Limestone
imported by Irish Natural Stone, Inc. of Boston and carved by Ireland’s
Master Carver Francis McCormack. Cardinal Egan granted a special
waiver for the use of Irish Limestone in Calvary Cemetery due to
the historic nature of this project
About Irish Blue Limestone.
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