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

  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...