Green-Wood - One of America’s First Rural Cemetery

City Walks

Mar 25

Some 600,000 permanent residents call Green-Wood Cemetery home. Inspired in part by the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Highgate Cemetery in London and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts, it was founded in 1838 by Henry Evelyn Pierrepont and designed by David Bates Douglass. It was one of the first rural cemeteries in America.

Pierrepont felt that residents of Brooklyn deserved a cemetery of grandeur, far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life. The results were magnificent. Within 20 years of its opening, Green-Wood was just as popular with the living as it was with the dead.

By the early 1860’s, it had earned an international reputation for its magnificent beauty and became a prestigious place to be buried, attracting 500,000 visitors a year, second only to Niagra Falls as the nation’s greatest tourist attraction. Green-Wood’s grounds have the highest point in Brooklyn, Battle Hill, rising approximately 216 feet above see level.

Admiring nature, architecture and art installations might not be the first reasons for visiting a cemetery, yet visitors to Green-Wood claim all three. The cemetery is beautiful, quiet, secluded, spacious with splashes of turquoise patina, stained glass, Gothic architecture and history all around.

Here is what caught my eye. I hope you enjoy!

Do you like the images posted?
Click here to explore the shop.

This is a night shot of the massive Gothic style entrance gate designed by Richard M. Upjohn.

This is the Valentine Angel by Adolfo Apolloni.

During the 19th century there were many diseases that led to hasty and high-volume burials. As a result there was widespread fear among the general public of being buried alive. Green-Wood helped pioneer the Burial House, an above-ground tomb, to ease the minds of those thinking they would need to escape, if you were buried alive.

The bright turquoise patina can be seen from the aged copper.

Unique architecture style

Some of the mausoleums are built into the hill.

The cemetery is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Green-Wood’s residents include: the famous to the nearly forgotten, business moguls to artists, inventors to physicians, statesmen to family men, baseball legends to politicians, Civil War veterans to entertainers and actresses.

William Niblo, owner of Niblo’s Garden, built his pretty mausoleum before his death in 1878. The Garden, a pleasure theater, would feature dancers, music and fireworks. He recognized the mausoleum as a potential event space and would throw wild parties here, much to the dismay of the cemetery management.

Pictured here is the mausoleum of John Christopher Ward (1860-1920) and Rose A Barrie Ward (1870-1920)

Little is known about these residents except they had excellent taste in classic-style mausoleums.

The stained glass window inside the mausoleum of John Christopher Ward (1860-1920) and Rose A Barrie Ward (1870-1920).

Beautiful Gothic-style mausoleum

The Victorian Fort Hamilton Parkway gatehouse cottage was designed by Richard M. Upjohn and acts as a visitor’s center with public restrooms.

An eye-catching, unusual mausoleum door design

The Fraser mausoleum

This is a view inside the Miner mausoleum with stained glass window and burial compartments on either side.

The Viemeister mausoleum

After the Civil War ended, this 35-foot tall Civil War’s Soldiers Monument was erected on the highest point in the cemetery, Battle Hill. It is said that there are more Civil War veterans interred at Green-Wood than any other cemetery north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

This is one of the four life-size bronze soldiers that are part of the Civil War’s soldiers monument on Battle Hill. Green-Wood serves as the final resting place for 5,000 Civil War dead, both Union and Confederate.

Another life-size soldier that is part of the Civil War’s soldiers monument on Battle Hill.

The Civil War’s Soldiers Monument under a fall sky

This memorial is for a woman that died while on her honeymoon. The monument was commissioned by her father and artisans worked from photographs to create it.

The Muller monument

Pictured here is the Fort Hamilton Parkway Victorian-style brownstone gatehouse. It is not as awesome as the main entrance but it is pretty impressive.

Another shot of the Fort Hamilton Parkway gatehouse shows more architectural details.

The final resting place of Charles Feltman who started selling a new handheld meal - frankfurters inserted in long buns known as “red hots”. They became so popular, in 1871 he opened a restaurant to sell them. Feltman hired a young roll slicer named Nathan Handwerker. Handwerker would later quit and open his own joint down the street and sell his dogs for half the price of Feltman’s. Nathan’s Famous still flourishes today.

Close-up detail of the entrance facade of Charles Feltman’s mausoleum

During Victorian times picnics in the cemetery were not uncommon.

The Wiebusch angel

The final resting place for Billy West, (1853-1902) a popular singer and comedian on the vaudeville stage in the late 19th century. He was known as the “Progressive Minstrel”.

The Jabara angel

Memorial with boy sculpture

This is another view of the Valentine Angel by Adolfo Apollini.

This mausoleum entrance is decorated with two urns and an angel sitting above.

Green-Wood Cemetery was created as New York City churchyards were getting overcrowded and there were also questions about the the affect of the buried bodies on the well water.

Winding paths lead you through history

Elaborate Gothic memorial

Pictured here is a kneeling angel sculpture with the Dewey Mausoleum behind it.

In 1920, Charles Higgins erected a bronze statue of Minerva, goddess of wisdom, on Battle Hill, commemorating the Battle of Long Island at the onset of the Revolutionary War. Minerva is waving to her sister, the Statue of Liberty, in New York Harbor.

A side view of the Minerva statue

The Joseph C. Ancaricia mausoleum

Family mausoleums all in a row

Since the 1970’s, the cemetery’s main gate has been home to Argentinian lime green monk parrots. If you look up at the arches you can see the nests, or you can hear the squawking. These parakeets actually protect and preserve not only the grand entrance but neighboring brownstones. They keep away the pigeons, whose high acidic excrement can, over time, do great damage to the buildings.

A sculpture at the main entrance to the cemetery

“Our Children”

A mausoleum door design

This is the beautiful Chauncey family mausoleum that could fit fit up to 36 family members.

The Rocco M. Agoglia mausoleum and angel at night

The Matthews monument was the work of sculptor Karl Muller for inventor John Matthews, “the Road Fountain King”. He invented the carbonating machinery and distributed his product through retail stores.

Gothic-style architecture

The hourglass motif, pictured here, is used on many of the monuments.

Some of these mausoleums show signs of no visitation in years.

An egret pictured here, overlooking the lake, stands motionless for the shot.

An angel sculpture sits outside of Rocco M. Agoglia (1861-1971) mausoleum.

A mausoleum interior showing the crypt and stained glass window

Green-Wood voted against Richard M. Upjohns’ plans for the chapel and Warren & Wetmore’s Gothic Beaux Arts design was approved and the chapel was officially opened in 1913.

William Poole, or Bill the Butcher, was the leader of the Bowery Boys Gang and a criminal that found his way into the cemetery despite the rule of no criminals allowed.

Must have been a dog and horse lover

This monument is for grandfather, Peter Lawson, and his granddaughter, Jensine. Peter died at the age of 84 in 1887 and Jensine died a year later, at the age of 24.

Peter F. Dailey (1868-1908) was a burlesque comedian and singer popular during the 1890’s. His inscription reads, “He Laughed And The World Laughed With Him”.

Not every grave monument is for someone famous

Green-Wood is 478 acres of valleys, ponds, paths, memorials and mausoleums.

The Green-Wood Historic Fund maintains the monuments and buildings of this historical, cultural and architectural significant site. The Fund not only preserves the past to enrich our future, but maintains a vibrant presence with open-to-the-public events including themed walks and trolly tours, art installations and other special events.

Many influential men and women whose contributions and innovations changed the world, now and Rest In Peace here include:

NYC politician “Boss” William M. Tweed (1823-1878)
Water Hunt (1796-1859) inventor of the safety pin
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) known for his stained glass windows
Artist and Andy Warhol protege Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988)
Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team owner and builder of Ebbits Field, Charles Ebbets (1859-1925)
Eastman Johnson (1824-1906) founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
James Gordon Bennett, Sr. (1795-1872) founder / publisher of the New York Herald
Mobster Albert Anastasia (1903-1957)
Lyricst Fred Ebb (1928-2004)
Henry Javis Raymond (1820-1869) founder of the New York Times
Carbonated beverage pioneer John Matthews (1808-1870)
Dr. Auguste Renouard known as the “Father of Embalming”
Lola Montez, actress, famous for her controversial “spider dance”
Susan McKinney Steward, the first African-American woman physician in New York State
Laura Keene who was on stage during Lincoln’s assassination
Business man William Colgate (1783-1857)
Isabella Goodwin, the first woman detective in the NYPD (1865-1943)
Inventor, philanthropist and founder of the Cooper Union Peter Cooper (1791-1883)
Inventor and painter Samuel Morse (1791-1872)
Frederick August Otto Schwartz (1836-1911) founder of the toy store F.A.O. Schwartz
Piano manufacturer Henry Steinway (1797-1871)
Business magnate Charles Pfizer (1824-1906)
Domino Sugar Company owner Henry O. Havemeyer (1847-1907)
Sewing machine inventor Elias Howe, Jr. (1819-1867)
Musical genius Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

Here is what you should know:

Green-Wood is a giant maze; grab a complimentary map from the guard booth or print your own copy here before going. Green-Wood is still an active cemetery, please be respectful.
Admission to the cemetery is free.
You can stroll or drive through the cemetery.
There are guided trolly tours available at an additional cost; check the website for details.
The following are prohibited: bicycles, scooters, running, jogging, dog walking, ball playing, frisbees, or kites. A more extensive list of rules and best practices can be found on the website.
Public restrooms are available.
Hours vary by season and by entrance; check the website for details.
You can join one of many special independant guided tours offered on the internet.
On the street parking is available; check posted parking regulation signs.
There is an enormous amount of public art, so enjoy it!

Location:

Main Gate - 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY

Sunset Park entrance - Fourth Avenue and 35th Street

Fort Hamilton Parkway entrance - Fort Hamilton Parkway and Micieli Place

For more information: Green-Wood Cemetery