Gardens of Stone --- A Cemetery Blog by Alexandra Kathryn Mosca

  The mausoleum of the Lewis family in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery evokes images of enchanted cottages in the woods.

Soft and buttery, Spritz cookies began as a Scandinavian Christmas tradition that involves squiring the dough through a press with patterned holes and dipping the cookies in chocolate or other flavorings. Today, it is a tradition shared by many countries and cultures, and many home bakers have their favorite take on the recipe. One of the most special is the one Naomi Miller-Dawson made for her family. And what makes this particular recipe so special, is that it is etched into her tombstone.    I had heard about the Spritz Cookie gravestone, for some time,  But it wasn't until early this year, that I finally saw the unique monument.  On a cold, but sunny, day in February, I met up with Marge Raymond, Green-Wood Cemetery's most popular tour guide, to tour the grounds and interview her for an upcoming article. After showing me a number of interesting sites, she led me to the pink granite monument topped by what appears to be an open cookbook. There, across two stone pa...

I came upon the grave of Dr. Auguste Renouard quite by accident when I was working on my Green-Wood Cemetery book. And, of course, I included a photo of it in the book.   Considered "the father of arterial embalming."  Renouard's monument is a tribute to him and notes: E rected by the Funeral Directors and Embalmers of the United States in Recognition of the Valuable Services of August Renouard in Advancing the Science of the Preservation of the Dead. Trained as a medical doctor, he developed a keen interest in embalming, writing often on the subject for funeral industry trade journals. In 1878, Renouard published what is said to be the first embalming textbook, 'The Undertaker's Manual.' Several years later, he opened The Renouard Training School for Embalmers in New York City. The mortuary school had a stellar reputation for turning out some of the most skilled embalmers of the time. Dr, Renouard died on March 13, 1912. Three years after Renouard's death...

  Mary Higgins Clark, known as the 'Queen of Suspense,' was a beloved and prolific writer in the mystery and suspense genre for over four decades. With more than 50 books to her name, many of which were adapted into movies, Clark had a profound impact on the literary world.  After discovering that she was laid to rest in Westchester's Gate of Heaven Cemetery, I set out one summer afternoon to find her grave. Though initially mistaken by a similar Clark monument, I eventually located her final resting place in a bucolic and shady grove. Higgins died at the age of 92 and was buried with her first husband, Warren.

  The sighting of the Headless Horseman is a Halloween tradition at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

 Legendary actress Anne Bancroft is buried  in a shaded corner grave, across the way from her parents. Bancroft, who appeared on stage and screen,  portrayed  Anne Sullivan in  the Broadway production of The Miracle Worker for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress. She reprised her role in  the 1962 film adaptation, this time winning an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance. One of her most famous roles was as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.  Bancroft was married to director, actor, and writer Mel Brooks. The grave of Bancroft's parents, Michael and Mildred Italiano.

  This summer I made a couple of trips to Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. My first visit was solely to do research and take photos for an article I was working on for August's  American Cemetery & Cremation  magazine.  Ferncliff is known for their magnificent community mausoleums, as well as an extensive roster of notables. Within their mausoleums are a number of private rooms which contain stunning personalized stained-glass windows. With their intricate designs and vibrant colors, they add beauty and elegance to the sacred space. Exploring the community mausoleums and admiring the artistry brought back fond memories for me, because Ferncliff was the subject of my very first cemetery profile back in 1999. Here are some of the highlights of my exploration.  

  In the early 2oth century, D.W. Rohde was the secretary of the Fairlawn Cemetery (the cemetery was later incorporated into Valhalla's Gate of Heaven) Society in Westchester County. His tree-stump tombstone in Kensico Cemetery is creatively adorned.

As many of you already know, Green-Wood Cemetery is a truly special place. With its 478 acres of beauty and serenity, it is filled with untold stories. But G-W is not only a cemetery; it also supports social impact programs, including bee colonies.    To further such efforts, and help " maintain healthy honey bee colonies, which help pollinate Green-Wood's 478 acres and keep Brooklyn's natural environment healthy and diverse."  I'm looking to sponsor a beehive on the cemetery grounds. The cost of this sponsorship is $500, and we are raising money and awareness for the plight of honey bees. If 750 new G-W book orders are received by the end of September, book royalties will be contributed towards this cause. I would love for you to join me in helping the honey bees. and supporting this initiative, by purchasing a copy of Green-Wood Cemetery. The book itself is a photographic history of the cemetery, filled with rare archival photos and informational snippets about ...

On July 17, 1996, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 800 took off from JFK International Airport for Rome. Within minutes, there was an explosion on board and the Boeing crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, Long Island. All 230 passengers were killed, making it the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. initial speculation was that the crash may have been the result of a terrorist attack. Investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the FBI, and the Police Department's Joint Terrorism Task Force ensued. After 16 months, the investigation was concluded with no evidence of criminality.

  In the 19th century, Aaron Arnold partnered with James Constable, his son-in-law, to open Arnold Constable & Co. The department store soon became a mecca for America’s elite, counting Mary Todd Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt among its clientele. Their promise to offer shoppers “everything from cradle to grave,” was especially true during the Civil War when the store did a brisker than usual business in mourning clothes. Aaron Arnold and James Constable, are buried among other family members in underground vaults beneath a unique gazebo-like monument at the intersection of Atlantic and Elm avenues. One of the earliest lots sold after the cemetery opened, the property is mentioned in cemetery historian, Nehemiah Cleaveland's 1849's booklet Green-Wood: A Directory for Visitors. . Arnold, Constable & Co. closed in 1975. James M. Constable Dead

  My article 'Westchester in Repose' is the cover story for July's American Cemetery & Cremation' magazine. Stories and photos from Gate of Heaven, Ferncliff, Kensico, Sleepy Hollow, and more, are featured.  The memorial that graces the cover commemorates the life of 27-year-old Marc Antony Zambetti, who tragically lost his life while on a business trip for Stella D'Oro, his family's company.

  Rising star Aaliyah, affectionately known as "Baby Girl" tragically died in a small plane crash, in 2001, at the age of 22. The popular singer had just finished filming of a music video in the Bahamas. She is entombed beneath her father, Michael, in a private alcove in Ferncliff Cemetery's Rosewood Mausoleum . Hers is one of the stories in my article --Westchester in Repose-- in July's 'American Cemetery & Cremation' magazine.

  The Van Ness Parsons pyramid-shaped monument, in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, is a most fitting final resting place for amateur Egyptologist Albert Ross Parsons. It is also a perennial  favorite of mine to photograph. Here is how it looked on a recent spring day.  From the late 19th century, into the early 20th century, Egyptian Revival was a popular style in memorialization. The Van Ness Parsons mausoleum is one of the finest examples, with its mix of Egyptian, Christian, and mystical symbolism.

  The recently installed monument in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery marks the grave of legendary journalist Pete Hamill. A passage from his 2003 book 'Forever' is inscribed on the back. In 2011, Hamill was awarded the DeWitt Clinton Award for Excellence by The Green-Wood Historic Fund at its annual gala. That evening, he spoke of growing up in Brooklyn, and his earliest visits to Green-Wood.    On what would have been Hamill's 86th birthday--June 24, 2021--Pete Hamill in Park Slope Brooklyn was dedicated. You can read a lively account of that day here: The Pete Hamill Way

  After completing a book --  The Truth About Chickamauga -- which chronicles one of the  bloodiest battles of the Civil War, and in which his father, a Brigadier General, fought,  Archibald Gracie IV rewarded himself with a trip to Europe, booking his return passage on the RMS Titanic. Awakened by  “a sudden shock and noise forward on the starboard side"   just before midnight on April 14, 1912, Gracie learned that the Titanic had struck an iceberg. In the time between the collision and its sinking, Gracie helped the crew load lifeboats and made sure that a number of women traveling alone got spaces on them. Pulled beneath the water, Gracie  surfaced and spotted a lifeboat, which he managed to reach, helping several other men onto the safety of the lifeboat.  After the tragedy, Gracie began work on a book about the sinking of the Titanic. However, eight months later he became the first adult survivor to die from health issues brought about by h...

  This monument is a replica of the Trylon and Perisphere structures that served as a centerpiece of the 1939 World's Fair. Images of it were used on a wide variety of promotional materials and, in 1939, it was depicted on a United States postage stamp (swipe to see). Buried here is Reverend Dr. M. Moran Weston II, a civil rights activist and graduate of Columbia University (one of the first African Americans to do so). In addition to his work as a minister, Dr. Moran founded the Carver Federal Savings Bank, and served as a real estate developer so that he could provide opportunities such as equal education and affordable housing to African American communities. Dr. Weston died in 2002, at the age of 91.

Passed this sepulchral photograph on a visit to St, Michael cemetery, in Queens. Such a beautiful face.  Enameling, was a popular memorialization practice in which images of a deceased were transferred and affixed onto ceramic or porcelain and then attached to a gravestone.  A walk through older sections of cemeteries will likely yield a number of enameled portraits, some formally posed and others more candid. Many of the men are depicted wearing suits while the women often sported hats (as above).

  Sometimes some of the most interesting finds are right in your own backyard. Such was the case when I recently went exploring in Roslyn Cemetery, one of my local cemeteries. It's been a while since I visited, and I saw some new monuments and revisited some older ones.  While the cemetery is small in size, it is filled with history. So much so, that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the final resting place of William Cullen Bryant, Christopher Morley,  Bessie Abott and Thomas Watson Story, and Frances Hodgson Burnett, and her son Lionel.  The grounds are diverse with --often unique -- memorials to those of many cultures, including Russian, Iranian, and Asian Indians.  Thomas Waldo Story followed in the footsteps of his father William Wetmore Story, finding success as a sculptor. He was married to opera singer,  Bessie Abbott. Poet William Cullen Bryant is buried beneath an obelisk with his wife, Fanny. 

  Lionel Burnett was the son of writer Frances Hodgson Burnett. He served as the model for the title character in her most famous children's book Little, Lord Fauntleroy, published in 1885. He is buried in Roslyn Cemetery, on Long Island, close to the grave of his mother. There's more about the cemetery in My Cemetery Travels.

  The Stewart mausoleum was a collaboration between McKim, Mead & White (as in Stanford), once the largest architectural firm in the world, and renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. In the 1800's, the Stewart family were major patrons of the arts. Their aesthetic tastes are reflected in their final resting place.

 I came across this tombstone on a recent walk through Green-Wood Cemetery's Public Lots., and share it here on Valentine's Day 

  Mayor Edward I. Koch died ten years ago today. His funeral took place three days later. He was one of my favorite mayors and it was an honor to attend his funeral, and write about it for 'American Funeral Director' magazine. The turnout for him was huge. Every seat in cavernous Temple Emanu-El was taken, and many people stood outside in what was a frigid day. Having been present at countless funerals in my capacity as a funeral director, and many high profile funerals, as a writer, people often ask me if I have a favorite. If I had to choose, it would be the funeral of Mayor Koch. It had everything a good funeral should have, as well as one of the most moving moments I ever witnessed at a funeral. At the conclusion of the service, Mayor Koch's casket was shouldered down the aisle to the tune of 'New York New York' to a standing ovation and thunderous applause.

  Soupy Sales (Milton Supman) was an actor, comedian, and popular radio & television personality. The Soupy Sales Show, which ran from 1953–1966, was one of the most popular children's shows of the time. It's comedy sketches often ended with Sales getting hit with a pie in his face. That became his trademark. After the show ended, Sales became a regular panelist on the revival of What's My Line? introducing him to a new where a new generation.

  Joseph S. Carreau was a founding partner of Carreau and Snedeker, a NYSE member firm. Both Carreau and his first wife, Alys Sinclair, with whom he had two daughters, were born in 1900. Interestingly, Alys died in 1925, at the age of 25, and Joseph died at 72, in 1972.