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

This graceful monument in Cypress Hills Cemetery marks the grave of Dr. Henry Small --a 19th Century physician and his wife, Araminta.

This Norman Revival hillside tomb, which contains the remains of the Lispenard Stewart family, was designed by James Fenwick in 1889. The Stewart family was socially prominent and when Mrs. Mary Stewart (nee Mary Rogers Rhinelander) died in 1893, a NY Times article noted that she was “one of the wealthiest women in New York . ”Her funeral was attended by the Astor, Vanderbilt and Pell families. Their son, Senator Lispenard Stewart, was included in an 1890 article about the most eligible bachelors in NY. In 1895, he was the escort of Gertrude Vanderbilt at her coming out party (which had an entirely different meaning in those days :)) and characterized as the “best dancer in Newport , Rhode Island .”

On Battle Hill, the cemetery's highest point, visitors can find a pleasant surprise. In 1920, Charles M. Higgins, an Irish immigrant and local history enthusiast, decided to honor the Revolutionary War Battle of Long Island, which had been neglected for far too long. He built an altar on Battle Hill and topped it with a statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. To ensure that Minerva would not feel lonely at the top, Higgins placed her close to Lady Liberty's upraised torch, located 3.5 miles to the West. This creates a unique sight where Minerva's waving hand reciprocates Lady Liberty's torch.  Five years ago, in 2008, there were concerns that this remarkable view could be obstructed. It was then that a real estate developer and a historic preservationist clashed over constructing "The Minerva," a new condominium across the street. To prove that the line of sight would not be affected, a construction worker was raised 40 feet in the air in a cherry pick...

Buried in Brooklyn's Holy Cross Cemetery, visitors often leave baseball memorabilia at the grave of the beloved former first baseman and New York Mets manager. Hodges suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972 after playing a round of golf in Florida. Hodges was immensely popular, and on what would have been his 48th birthday, over 1,000 people waited in line outside a Brooklyn funeral home, hoping to be admitted to pay their respects.  On the day of Hodges' funeral, fans gathered behind police barricades to catch a glimpse of his casket as it was brought into the church. Many notable figures from the baseball world were present, including Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, players Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson, pitchers Tom Seaver and Sandy Koufax, and sports announcer Howard Cosell. Brooklyn Bishop Francis J. Mugavero was the principal celebrant. At the same time, Hodges' pastor and friend, Father Charles E. Curley, gave the homily." Gil was a hero. All of us need he...

This arbor of trees --located near the Civil War Soldiers' Monument-- --where the delicate and ephemeral cherry blossoms make a brief appearance, is one of my favorite spring sites.

This tableau, blanketed by freshly fallen snow, is in honor of Good Friday and the promise of spring.

The bronze-reliefs on the tomb of steel magnate David Stewart were created by famed architect Stanford White and preeminent sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Together, the pair also created a number of other noted works: The Farragut Monument in Madison Square Garden (their first collaboration); the Peter Cooper Monument for Cooper Union; The Puritan in Springfield, Mass.and Chicago’s General John Logan Monument .

This monument is to the DeFeo family, who were all murdered in their Amityville, LI home in November of 1974. Ronald DeFeo Sr., his wife Louise, and four of their children were shot to death by their eldest son, Ronald Jr., who blamed the murder on a mafia hitman. He was found guilty at trial and is serving a life sentence. This sensational case spawned a number of books, including the Amityville Horror, a book based on the Lutz family's account of the brief (less than a month) period they lived in the house, a year later. George and Kathy Lutz claimed they had been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while residing in the house. To this day, the house at 112 Ocean Ave. remains an object of curiosity.

The Guggenheim name is widely known in America  for their philanthropic contributions. In the 19 th century, the family patriarch, Meyer, amassed his fortune from mining and smelting.  His business acumen and charitable nature were inherited by his large family, who also made names for themselves during their lifetimes. The Guggenheim family's good deeds and repuation continue to live on.  Many members of the family are are entombed in Salem Fields Cemetery , an historic Jewish cemetery that is located on the border between Brooklyn and Queens. Their octagonal-shaped mausoleum, which is the largest in the cemetery, was built in 1899 by American architect Henry Beaumont Herts, and cost over $100,000. The white marble structure was modeled after the Tower of the Winds in Athens in the Italian neoclassical style. Barbara Myers Guggenheim, the wife of family patriarch Meyer, was the first to be entombed there after her sudden death in 1890. Meyer’s grand-nephew, Harry G...