New Jersey is weird. Honestly, if you’ve lived here long enough, you stop questioning the bizarre sights on Route 1. But even for the Garden State, finding a 19th-century grave perched seven feet in the air in the middle of a movie theater parking lot is a bit much.
I’m talking about the mary ellis burial site.
If you pull into the AMC New Brunswick 18, you’re usually thinking about popcorn or whether you’re late for the trailers. You probably aren't thinking about a heartbroken woman from the 1700s. Yet, there she is, right behind the theater, sitting on a brick-walled island that looks like a glitch in the urban landscape.
The Real Story of the mary ellis burial site
Mary Ellis didn't choose to be surrounded by Nissans and Teslas.
Born in 1750, she moved from South Carolina to New Brunswick in the 1790s to stay with her sister. Legend says she fell hard for a sea captain. He was a Revolutionary War officer, or so the story goes, and when he had to set sail again, he left her his favorite horse and a promise. He’d be back to marry her.
He never came back.
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Mary didn't just mope around. She was actually a bit of a powerhouse—a fierce feminist who reportedly voted in city elections way before it was legal for women. In 1813, she bought a chunk of farmland overlooking the Raritan River. Every single day, she’d ride that horse down to the riverbank, squinting at the horizon, waiting for a ship that was likely at the bottom of the Atlantic.
She died in 1828. Her last wish? To be buried right there, on the spot where she kept her vigil.
How she ended up "floating" 7 feet high
You might wonder why the grave isn't level with the pavement. It’s not because they buried her in a skyscraper.
Basically, the mary ellis burial site stays at the original elevation of the hill. As the decades rolled on, the woods were cleared. In the 1960s, developers moved in to build a Great Eastern Discount Department Store. To make a flat parking lot, they had to grade the land down. They dug up everything except the grave.
Then came the Route 1 Flea Market. Then, in the 90s, the Loews Cineplex (now AMC). Each time the lot was repaved or re-leveled, they dug a little deeper around her. Today, Mary and seven of her relatives sit on a "pyramid" of dirt and stone, forever overlooking a sea of asphalt instead of the river she loved.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Site
There’s a massive rumor that Mary Ellis inspired the 1972 hit song "Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)" by the band Looking Glass.
It makes sense on paper. The band formed at Rutgers University, just down the road. The lyrics are about a barmaid in love with a sailor whose "life, his love, and his lady is the sea."
But honestly? The band has never officially confirmed it. It’s one of those local myths that feels so right people just treat it as fact. Whether she inspired the song or not, the parallels are eerie.
Who else is buried there?
Mary isn't lonely. While everyone calls it "Mary's Grave," there are actually several family members in that tiny plot:
- Margaret Ellis: Mary's sister, who was married to Anthony Walton White (a general under George Washington).
- Mildred Moody: Another relative who died in 1816.
- The Evans Family: Thomas, Elizabeth, and Isabelle.
Some locals swear the captain's horse is buried there too, though there’s no headstone for the poor animal.
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Finding the Grave in 2026
If you want to pay your respects, it’s easier than you’d think, but also kinda awkward.
Location: 17 US Highway 1, New Brunswick, NJ.
Coordinates: 40.489260, -74.416560.
Drive to the very back of the AMC parking lot. Look for the "island" with the brick retaining wall and the wrought-iron fence. It’s about eight feet tall now. There’s a gate, but it’s usually locked to keep out vandals. You’ll see the weathered granite stones peeking through the weeds.
A Quick Reality Check
- Is it haunted? People say they see a woman looking toward the river at night. Personally, I think it’s just the glare from the theater neon.
- Can you climb it? Please don’t. It’s a literal cemetery on private property.
- Visibility: In the summer, the foliage gets pretty thick. If you want a good look at the inscriptions, go in the winter when the vines have died back.
Why You Should Care
The mary ellis burial site is more than just a "Weird NJ" landmark. It’s a middle finger to urban sprawl. Everything around Mary has changed—the forests became farms, the farms became stores, and the stores became a multiplex—but she stayed put.
It’s a reminder that history doesn't always go away just because we pave over it. Sometimes, it just sits there, seven feet above our heads, waiting for a ship that’s 200 years late.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Visit at dusk: The lighting from the Route 1 traffic and the theater makes for a surreal atmosphere.
- Check the names: Use a zoom lens to read the inscriptions on the side of the monument; the Evans family names are still remarkably legible.
- Respect the perimeter: Keep your car clear of the retaining wall; the property owners are protective of the structure's integrity.