Cemetery of the Evergreens, Brooklyn
Encyclopedia
The Cemetery of the Evergreens is a non-denominational cemetery
in Brooklyn
and Queens
, New York
, colloquially called Evergreen Cemetery. It was incorporated in 1849, not long after the passage of New York's Rural Cemetery Act
spurred development of cemeteries outside Manhattan
. For a time, it was the busiest cemetery in New York City
; in 1929 there were 4,673 interments. The cemetery borders Brooklyn and Queens and covers 225 acre (0.9105435 km²) of rolling hills and gently sloping meadows. It features several thousand trees and flowering shrubs in a park-like setting. The Evergreens is the final resting place of more than 526,000 people.
. Two of the era's most noted landscape architects, Andrew Jackson Downing
and Alexander Jackson Davis
, were instrumental in the layout of the cemetery grounds.
The Evergreens has a monument to eight unidentified victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of March 25, 1911. In 2011, researchers were able to provide names to these last eight dead.
The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on November 15, 2007.
Cypress Hills Cemetery
lies to its northwest.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, colloquially called Evergreen Cemetery. It was incorporated in 1849, not long after the passage of New York's Rural Cemetery Act
Rural Cemetery Act
The Rural Cemetery Act was a law passed by the New York Legislature on April 27, 1847, that authorized commercial burial grounds in rural New York state. The law led to burial of human remains becoming a commercial business for the first time, replacing the traditional practice of burying the dead...
spurred development of cemeteries outside Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. For a time, it was the busiest cemetery in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; in 1929 there were 4,673 interments. The cemetery borders Brooklyn and Queens and covers 225 acre (0.9105435 km²) of rolling hills and gently sloping meadows. It features several thousand trees and flowering shrubs in a park-like setting. The Evergreens is the final resting place of more than 526,000 people.
History
The Evergreens was built on the principle of the rural cemeteryRural cemetery
The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting.As early as 1711 the architect Sir Christopher Wren had advocated the creation of burial grounds on the outskirts of town, "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and...
. Two of the era's most noted landscape architects, Andrew Jackson Downing
Andrew Jackson Downing
Andrew Jackson Downing was an American landscape designer, horticulturalist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival style in the United States, and editor of The Horticulturist magazine...
and Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis , was one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, in particular his association with the Gothic Revival style....
, were instrumental in the layout of the cemetery grounds.
The Evergreens has a monument to eight unidentified victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of March 25, 1911. In 2011, researchers were able to provide names to these last eight dead.
The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 15, 2007.
Cypress Hills Cemetery
Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills Cemetery was the first non-sectarian/non-denominational cemetery corporation organized in the Brooklyn/Queens area of New York City. The Cemetery is run as a non-for-profit organization and is located at 833 Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn...
lies to its northwest.
Individual graves
- John BunnyJohn BunnyJohn Bunny was an American actor and was one of the first comic stars of the motion picture era. Between 1910 and his death in 1915 Bunny was one of the top stars of early silent film, as well as an early example of celebrity...
(1863–1915), actor - Anthony ComstockAnthony ComstockAnthony Comstock was a United States Postal Inspector and politician dedicated to ideas of Victorian morality.-Biography:...
(1844–1915), censor (see Comstock LawComstock LawThe Comstock Act, , enacted March 3, 1873, was a United States federal law which amended the Post Office Act and made it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, and/or lascivious" materials through the mail, including contraceptive devices and information. In addition to banning contraceptives, this...
) - Bill DahlenBill DahlenWilliam Frederick Dahlen , nicknamed "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for four National League teams from to...
(1870–1950), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, one of the outstanding early 20th century players. Lies in an unmarked grave. - James E. Davis (1962–2003), New York City councilman (he was originally interred in Green-Wood CemeteryGreen-Wood CemeteryGreen-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
, but after it was realized that his assassin was also interred there, he was moved to the Cemetery of the Evergreens) - George HallGeorge Hall (baseball player)George William Hall was a professional baseball player who played in the National Association and later the National League. Born in Stepney, England, Hall later immigrated to the U.S...
(1849–1923), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, banned from baseball for life - Yusef HawkinsYusef HawkinsYusef Hawkins was a 16-year-old African American youth who was shot to death on August 23, 1989 in Bensonhurst, a heavily Italian American working-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn...
(??-1989), murder victim - Martin Johnson HeadeMartin Johnson HeadeMartin Johnson Heade was a prolific American painter known for his salt marsh landscapes, seascapes, portraits of tropical birds, and still lifes...
(1819–1904), artist - Lucille HegaminLucille HegaminLucille Nelson Hegamin was an American singer and entertainer, and a pioneer African American blues recording artist.-Life and career:...
(1894–1970), singer, female pioneer of the BluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads... - William HickeyWilliam Hickey (actor)William Edward Hickey was an American actor. He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor, as well as the voice of Dr...
(1927–1997), actor - Joseph Forsyth JohnsonJoseph Forsyth JohnsonJoseph Forsyth Johnson was an English landscape architect and disciple of John Ruskin.-Early life and career:thumb|left|Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia, where Johnson's work was hugely acclaimed....
(1840–1906), landscape architectLandscape architectA landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
and great-grandfather of Bruce ForsythBruce ForsythSir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality... - Walt KellyWalt KellyWalter Crawford Kelly, Jr. , or Walt Kelly, was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip, Pogo. He began his animation career in 1936 at Walt Disney Studios, contributing to Pinocchio and Fantasia. Kelly resigned in 1941 at the age of 28 to work at Post-Hall Syndicate,...
(1913–1973), cartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising... - George H. LindsayGeorge H. LindsayGeorge Henry Lindsay was a United States Representative from New York. Born in New York City, he moved with his parents to Brooklyn in 1843. He attended the public schools and engaged in the real estate and investment business. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1882 to 1886 and...
(1837–1916), congressman - Winsor McCayWinsor McCayWinsor McCay was an American cartoonist and animator.A prolific artist, McCay's pioneering early animated films far outshone the work of his contemporaries, and set a standard followed by Walt Disney and others in later decades...
(1872–1934), cartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and animated cartoonAnimated cartoonAn animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
pioneer - Antonio "Tony" PastorTony PastorTony Pastor was an American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid-to-late nineteenth century...
(1837–1908), vaudevillianVaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill... - Bill "Bojangles" RobinsonBill RobinsonBill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...
(1878–1949), tap dancer - Stephen A. RuddStephen A. RuddStephen Andrew Rudd was a U.S. Democratic politician.He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from New York by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of David J...
(1874–1936), world chessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
champion - Joseph Thuma Schenck (c. 1891-1930), vaudevillianVaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, better known as "Joe" Schenck, of the comedy singing team Van and SchenckVan and SchenckVan and Schenck were popular United States entertainers in the 1910s and 1920s: Gus Van , baritone and Joe Schenck , tenor. They were vaudeville stars and made appearances in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918, 1919, 1920 and 1921... - William Steinitz (1836–1900), world chessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
champion - Bob ThieleBob ThieleBob Thiele was an American record producer who worked on countless classic jazz albums and record labels.-Biography:...
(1922–1996), record producer - Amy VanderbiltAmy VanderbiltAmy Vanderbilt was an American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition was edited by Nancy...
(1908–1974), journalist, etiquetteEtiquetteEtiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
authority - Thomas "Blind Tom" WigginsBlind Tom WigginsThomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins was an African American autistic savant and musical prodigy on the piano. He had numerous original compositions published and had a lengthy and largely successful performing career throughout the United States...
(1849–1908), musician - Oscar Walker (1854–1889), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Lester YoungLester YoungLester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
(1909–1959), jazz musician - John William WardeJohn William WardeJohn William Warde was a twenty-six-year-old native of Southampton, New York who committed suicide on July 26, 1938. He leaped from a window ledge of the seventeenth floor of the Gotham Hotel at 5th Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan. The son of a Long Island express agent, his eleven-hour dilemma...
(c.1912-1938), his widely-publicized suicide inspired the movie Fourteen HoursFourteen HoursFourteen Hours is a 1951 drama film directed by Henry Hathaway, which tells the story of a New York police officer trying to stop a despondent man from jumping to his death from the fifteenth floor of a hotel....
.
Group monument
- Triangle Shirtwaist fire - The bodies of eight victims of the 1911 fire lay in cemetery under a monument to the tragedy. These workers were identified later as Maria Giuseppa Lauletti, Max Florin, Concetta Prestifilippo, Josephine Cammarata, Dora Evans and Fannie Rosen.
Further reading
- Rousmaniere, John. Green Oasis in Brooklyn: The Evergreens Cemetery 1849-2008. (2008) ISBN 978-0978689940