Van Cortlandt Park Vault Hill, the family plot of the Van Cortlandt family that lived on this land from 1710 to 1888. In 1776 Augustus Van Cortlandt was New York City Clerk; for safekeeping, he placed the city's records beneath the arch of his father's vault in this plot.

References:

1. Ultan, Lloyd, and Shelley Olson, The Bronx: The Ultimate Guide to New York City's Beautiful Borough, Rutgers University Press (2015), pp.33.