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

Wealthy industrialists William Robertson and Mary "Mai" Rogers Coe,  are entombed within a stately mausoleum in a leafy alcove toward the eastern end of Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Church on Long Island's north shore.  Their former Oyster Bay homestead has served as a state park—Planting Fields Arboretum—since 1949, are entombed within a stately mausoleum in a leafy alcove toward the eastern end of the cemetery.

  One of the most unusual mausoleums I’ve encountered is in Brooklyn’s Cemetery of the Evergreens. Cylindrical in shape, and made of cast iron, it resembles a boiler tank, and for good reason. It is the final resting place of W.H. Guild, whose firm, Guild and Garrison, manufactured pumping material.

  Capt. Alexander Joseph Swift was the son of Brigadier-General Joseph G. Swift, West Point's first graduate. During the Mexican-American War, Capt. Alexander Swift trained U.S. Military Academy officers for deployment to Mexico. It was there, during the Battle of Vera Cruz, a 20-day siege of the Mexican seaport, that Swift contracted dysentery. He died less than a month after the battle ended and is buried in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery.

Harry James Luke Foale, a Brooklyn resident for most of his life, ran a successful interior decorating business. His name often appeared on the Brooklyn Society pages, a testament to his thriving eneterprise. However, one newspaper mentioned that Foale could have done without was his arrest in 1890 for -unknowingly- buying a stolen horse. Foale died in 1928 at his home, Irisdale, in Northport, Long Island. His funeral service took place at the Fairchild Funeral Home's Brooklyn branch. A year later, the family mausoleum was completed. Foale is entombed with his wife, Emily, in Brooklyn's Cemetery of the Evergreens.

Situated prominently near the main entrance of the Cemetery of the Evergreen's, in Brooklyn, t he impressive mausoleum of Philip Steingotter, a builder from Brooklyn, also holds the remains of his wife, Elizabeth, as well as their daughter, Lillian Reichers, and her husband, Herman, who died at the age of 33. When Philip died in 1932, he left behind an estate worth over $200,000, a substantial sum for that period.

  It's been some time since I've photographed the Roeder mausoleum. After Saturday morning's funeral, I took a walk through the cemetery grounds, revisiting --and photographing-- some of my favorite sites. It was a misty (even rainy at times) and cloudy day, which made for optimal photography. also got a decent shot of the interior. The sandstone mausoleum resembles a castle and it holds the remains of Rev. Dr. Charles W. Roeder, who served as the longtime pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Roeder, who belonged to an old Dutch family, also served as the chaplain of a local army and navy post.

It took me three determined attempts to locate the grave of author Mario Puzo, buried in North Babylon Cemetery (not to be confused with Babylon Rural Cemetery) on Long Island. The third time was the charm, and I finally found it. On Sunday evening, after dinner, my cousin joined me in the search. We split up and walked through the rows of the cemetery.  Despite coming across many noteworthy monuments, I still couldn't find Puzo's grave. Suddenly, it occurred to me that he might be buried in the small --and less occupied-- graveyard across the street.  It turned out that it was another section of the cemetery, and I spotted Puzo's grave nestled within some bushes as soon as I entered. He is buried with his wife Erika who died in 1978. Surprisingly, the rose granite monument makes no mention of his fame as a writer.  Standing before the grave, I couldn't help but recall the day long ago when, as a teenager, I and some friends eagerly made our way into the city to see the...

  The catacombs beneath old   St. Patrick’s Cathedral, are a unique historical site, and among the few remaining catacombs in the  U.S. A network of underground tombs and passageways, these catacombs hold a rich history that is closely connected with the early history of Catholics in New York City. They were used for burials and religious ceremonies, and some of the earliest Catholic settlers in New York found their final resting place here.   While St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue gets the lion’s share of attention as the center of Roman Catholicism in New York City, the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in lower Manhattan was the focal point of the church in the city for decades. Located at the intersection of Mott and Prince Streets, Old St. Patrick’s was the first cathedral for the Diocese of New York when it was completed in 1815. The building was also the largest Catholic church in the United States at that time. Many Catholics began to gain promine...

  Cemeteries can be great resources for genealogical research. Here are some tips to get you started,

  A bronze angel, holding a hammer and chisel, perches on the monument of Benjamin Franklin Romaine, a NYC merchant, appearing to rest after completing the memorial. Romaine was a Trustee of both the Bowery savings Bank and the Church of the Divine Paternity, where his funeral service was held. Romaine's father, Jacob, who is also buried in the plot, headed the Romaine Academy for Young Ladies, a private school in New York City.

This month, Kates-Boylston Publications generously offers non-subscribers complimentary digital access American Cemetery & Cremation magazine. It's a great opportunity to see the photos and read the great stories about cemeteries around the country. Long before I began writing for them I was a subscriber, and I truly believe this is a magazine for anyone who cares about the beauty, tranquility, architecture and history to be found in cemeteries. This issue features my article on cemetery bloggers (of which I am one) and the reasons we chronicle the sometimes arcane stories of those who have gone before us. The Eppig mausoleum (pictured above) is one of them. For the article, I interviewed Ed Snyder, who began his popular blog, The Cemetery Traveler, more than a dozen years ago, and Chantal Larochelle, whose blog features Canadian cemetery stories. In a sidebar, I've included a few more of my favorite blogs. Here's the link: Cemetery Bloggers Blending History and Reveren...

Italian-born Emanuele Ronzoni, a master of pasta-making from a young age, founded the Ronzoni Macaroni Co. in 1915. His son and namesake, Emanuele Jr., carrying forward his father's legacy, brought innovation and growth to the company. He diversified the product line, introducing pasta sauces and frozen entrees alongside the more than 50 pasta varieties.   In an interview, Emanuele Jr. once said " I don't expect the company's management will be passing out of family hands." But despite that prediction,  the company was acquired by General Foods n 1984. Yet, even through subsequent corporate transitions, the Ronzoni brand and its iconic logo,  "Ronzoni Sono Buoni," have remained a symbol of quality and tradition. The Ronzoni mausoleum stands in Mt. St. Mary's Cemetery in Flushing, New York.

John Dustin Archbold was a key figure of the Gilded Age. He worked for John D. Rockefeller’s company, Standard Oil, where he served alternately as vice president, president, and a member of the board of directors. The Archbold mausoleum, situated across from William Rockefeller's mausoleum, is a unique structure. Crafted from green granite by Troy Granite in Worcester, Massachusetts, it stands at an impressive 36 feet by 36 feet and reaches a height of 32 feet, housing 12 crypts.The mausoleum, and its bronze doors, were designed by the New York firm of Morris, Butler and Rodman Architects. The Norcross Brothers, a 19th century construction company, oversaw the building of the structure. Inside, the glass mosaic ceiling, a true work of art, was painstakingly crafted by Otto Heinigke (1850-1915) and features a myriad of Christian symbols, including the Agnes Dei (lamb of God), winged depictions of the four evangelists, angels, and crosses, each with its own fascinating story to tell.

For this month's American Cemetery & Cremation magazine, I wrote about some of the cemetery monuments I've come across bearing song lyrics. Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind, and Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, are among them. Here's a bonus find from  Westchester County’s Sharon Gardens Cemetery. The words to the song “One Boy” from the classic musical Bye Bye Birdie are etched into a small grave marker. With lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse, the song became a hit when it was performed by Ann-Margret in the 1963 film adaptation of the musical. Kim McAfee, played by Margret, assures her boyfriend, Hugo Peabody, that rock star Conrad Birdie has not stolen her affection. Have you seen any? If so, where? And what was the song?

  In 1817, brothers James and John Harper founded J. & J. Harper in New York. They were later joined by their younger brothers Wesley and Fletcher, and the company was renamed Harper & Brothers. It became the leading book publisher in the United States during most of the 19th century. Harper & Brothers played a major role in the early industrialization of book publishing. In the 1850s, they shaped American culture by creating and distributing Harper's New Monthly Magazine and Harper's Weekly. The company had its most significant influence during the three decades following the Civil War. Harper textbooks educated students, Harper trade books were found on family shelves, and Harper periodicals illustrated current affairs and guided national thought. However, as the literary marketplace evolved, Harper was increasingly viewed an old-fashioned "family" publisher by the century's end. This compelled its corporate reorganization. In 1962, Harper & Brot...

  When President Ulysses S. Grant died on July 23, 1885, two undertakers were called to prepare his remains. At the suggestion of Grant's physician, Dr. John Douglas Ebenezer Holmes was contacted. Holmes brought his patented invention, the “Corpse Cooler Casket,” to preserve the body in the summer heat until the embalming process could be carried out. Later, Reverend Stephen Merritt Jr. arrived to handle the embalming process with associates Daniel Harrigan, Felix Sullivan, and a small group of assistants. Sullivan was an expert in embalming who had previously worked on President Garfield and had recently opened the New York School of Embalming. Meanwhile, Merritt had taken over his family's undertaking business in the 1870s and was one of the most well-known and respected undertakers in New York City. Harrigan handled the funeral arrangements for Albany, while Merritt took care of those in New York City.However, conflict arose between Merritt and Holmes over payments and libel...

  Many artfully designed Celtic crosses can be seen in cemeteries. A favorite of mine is the one that marks the grave of industrialist Andrew Carnegie and his family in Sleepy Hollow. The Celtic cross --a traditional cross accentuated by a circle--has been part of the culture of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, from ancient times. Many believe that the cross symbolizes God's eternal presence, as well as Christ's sacrifice and victory over death. Another of my favorites can be found in Providence, Rhode Island's Swan Point Cemetery.  In upper Manhattan's Trinity Cemtery, a 16-foot high Celtic cross, adorned with animal carvings, towers over the grave of John James Audubon. 

One of the not to be missed monuments in Kensico Cemetery is the pink pyramid that graces the graves of Civil War surgeon Major Howard Pinkney, M.D., and his family.

  Walter B. Cooke's was once a busy chain of independently owned funeral homes throughout the New York metropolitan area. At the time of Cooke's death, in 1972, there were 13 locations. Cooke's motto was: "A funeral should never cost more than a family can afford" and for many years the company advertised a complete funeral for $150. Cooke is entombed in a private family room in Ferncliff Cemetery. The Cooke name was absorbed by SCI/Dignity Memorial.

  My article: "The Power of Eternal Love: Unforgettable Love Stories That Transcend Even Death" is the cover story for this month's American Cemetery & Cremation magazine.  The cover shot is of the monument artist Marc Chagall designed for his beloved wife, Bella, when she died at the age of 49. Other love stories include Charles & Jane Griffith (Green-Wood), Jonathan & Mary Reed (Evergreen) Lawrence and Elvira Wegielski (Woodlawn) William Wetmore Story & Emelyn (Protestant Cemetery in Rome).  

Silent film director, J. Gordon Edwards, worked for Fox Films before it merged with Twentieth Century Pictures. While with Fox, he directed more than 50 films, including the original Cleopatra, starring silent screen star Theda Bara. The co-mingled cremains of Edwards and his wife, Angela, are inurned in one of the crypt spaces in their mosque-shaped mausoleum, which is decorated with movie props from some of Edwards' movies.