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

Over the weekend, Green-Wood Cemetery participated in openhousenewyork (sic). One of the highlights this year was the rare opportunity to see inside some of Green-Wood's most famous mausoleums. Had a fabulous day doing just that under yesterday's picture perfect sky. The Steinway Mausoleum --which houses the remains of Henry Steinway, the piano maker, and many of his family members--is the largest in the cemetery.

Henry Steinway, born Steinweg, emigrated from Germany to New York with his wife and four sons. He initially worked for various piano makers in the city before starting his own piano manufacturing company, Steinway & Sons, in 1853. Steinway's concert pianos quickly earned a reputation for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship. In 1870, a year before he died, Steinway moved his business to Queens, purchasing land in Astoria. The company still operates from Queens, and the area's main thoroughfare --Steinway Street--  is named in his honor.  Shortly after Steinway's death, his family constructed a grand mausoleum in Green-Wood Cemetery. It is the largest private mausoleum in the cemetery, and can accommodate up to 128 entombments. The granite structure reportedly cost $80,000 to build. .