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

To kick off the baseball season, today's post is in homage to Gil Hodges, one of the game's greats. The grave of Gil Hodges can be found in Brooklyn's Holy Cross Cemetery. His grave is adorned with an American flag and baseball memorabilia left by visiting fans. The former first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers died in 1972, two days before his 48th birthday. Several days later, more than 1,000 people stood in line to pay their respects as Hodges body reposed in a Brooklyn funeral home. After two days of visitation, a Mass of Christian Burial took place at Hodges church, Our Lady Help of Christians, led by Bishop Francis Mugavero. Seated in the church, which was filled to capacity, were Bowie Kuhn, Jackie Robinson, PeeWee Reese, Tom Seaver and Mayor John Lindsay. Thousands more lined the streets. At the conclusion of the service,  two flower cars overflowing with floral tributes led the cortege to Holy Cross.    

A finely chiseled bust tops the monument of well-to-do Kings County politician, Andrew McClennen, in Brooklyn's Holy Cross Cemetery. McClennen stipulated in his will that if his children left no heirs, "I give his or her share to the incorporated Roman Catholic hospitals and orphan asylums of the city of Brooklyn." 

This majestic monument marks the grave of  Major General Robert Patterson, who fought in both the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.

Based on Michelangelo's Lorenzo de Medici, this sculpture is part of the Sayles family lot in Rhode Island's Swan Point Cemetery.

  Walter Feldman was an artist, printmaker and mosaicist. A graduate of Yale, he went on to teach art at Brown University for five decades. In 2005, Feldman dedicated the Walter Feldman Book Arts Studio at the school's John Hay Library. In addition to Feldman's paintings, art books and prints, he also created mosaics, woodcuts, and stained glass. Examples of his work can be found at Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El and Miriam Hospital, in Providence, Rhode Island.

The palatial mausoleum of hoteliers Harry and Leona Helmsley commands a picturesque view in New York's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and is o ne of the most recognized mausoleums in the cemetery. In the center of the building, on top of the inlaid marble floor, two crypts contain the bodies of the Helmsleys. Harry's tomb is inscribed with the following words: Harry (1997): "I wait for the time we can soar together again, both aware of each other. - Harry." On the other hand, Leona's tomb reads, "I never knew a day I did not love you." Leona reads, "I never knew a day I did not love you.-Three identical stained-glass windows depicting the Manhattan skyline adorn the 1,300-square-foot structure on almost an acre of land.  The Helmsleys were originally to be entombed in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, where Leona commissioned a mausoleum upon Harry's death. But when a community mausoleum was being constructed nearby, threatening to obstruct the views...

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...

This G othic Revival mausoleum was built for Edwin W. Marsh in 1890. At the time, Marsh was the most successful retail dry goods merchant in Atlanta. Constructed of sandstone, the building sports a spire, buttresses, cusped arches and polished granite shafts. The prominent bronze urn was made by Gorham Manufacturing, the first US foundry. One of 55 mausoleums in Oakland Cemetery, the Marsh mausoleum is currently undergoing restoration.

Replete with photos, this recent article highlights 10 popular US cemeteries. Cemeteries of the Rich, Famous and Notorious.

Green-Wood Cemetery will once again participate in openhousenewyork. As they did last year, the cemetery will be opening several noted mausoleums to the public. For more details, click on the link below. This Weekend at Green-Wood Cemetery

In 1920, a parcel of land in Calvary Cemetery, Queens, was gifted by Cardinal Hayes to the Catholic Actors Guild. But, it was not until 1937 that a monument was erected at the site. The 10 foot high and 8 feet wide monument bears the names of the performers, as well as a line from Hamlet: Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest. Gene Buck -- president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers-- presided over the November, 1937, dedication, telling the crowd that “They made life richer for a million people.” Over time, the guild purchased additional land and to date more than 200 of its members have been buried here.