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

On a recent visit to Calvary Cemetery in Queens , I saw the Halloran mausoleum  (top photo)  for the first time. Surprisingly, in all my years as a funeral director, I’ve never seen it before. Probably, because I almost never enter the cemetery on Greenpoint Avenue. In any case, I was immediately struck by the similarity to the Mackay family mausoleum, my favorite in Green-Wood. I'm attempting to find out additional information about this structure. In particular, I'm interested in knowing which mausoleum was built first and did they share an architect. If anyone knows, please post here.

One of my favorite places to visit at Green-Wood is the spectacular Mackay family mausoleum. This architectural marvel  boasts heat, electricity, and an altar inside.  The  story of the Mackay family is as dramatic as a popular 80s TV soap like Dallas or Dynasty.  John Forsyth could easily play Patriarch John W. Mackay, who made his fortune in mining.  It was after the sudden death of his son, John Jr., in 1895 that Mackay had this mausoleum built.  Three years later, when Mackay's younger son, Clarence, married, his parents gifted him a Stanford White estate, Harbor Hill, on Long Island's "Gold Coast."  Mackay's daughter, Ellin, went against her father's wishes and married world-renowned composer Irving Berlin.