Jeff Richman Art Presson, Green-Wood’s superintendent of the grounds, shares his thoughts on fall’s retreat: It’s almost over, but the maples lining Vine Avenue, south of Fir Avenue are on fire- red. Also one of the last gasps, which is a thrill, are the ginkgo biloba. They will be at peak of yellow tomorrow. Then soon, within … Read more
It is truly remarkable: year after year, the grounds at Green-Wood get better and better. It might be a new garden, tree plantings, a monument restored, a path repaved, a tree trimmed. When I went out last week to get some fall foliage photographs, I found a few great new touches. In the public lot … Read more
Green-Wood Historic volunteers have been attending research sessions on Saturdays for years now. These sessions, held about once a month, began as searches of cemetery records for hints that might lead to the identification of Civil War veterans. About a year ago, they morphed, under the supervision of Brooklyn College’s Professor Tony Cucchiara, into archival … Read more
Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council and a leading preservationist, was interviewed recently for the “Sunday Routine” feature in The New York Times. He discusses his favorite things, one of which is Green-Wood: ON THE PROWL I’ll take a walk around the neighborhood or visit Green-Wood Cemetery. I bought a burial plot … Read more
It is one of my favorite Green-Wood things: taking fall foliage photographs. The light is great, the colors are intense, the monuments create a great atmosphere. So, last week I had my chance, and here are some of the results. If you have some free time in the next few days, get out on Green-Wood’s … Read more
Halloween and a great cemetery–that combination always piques the interest of the media. So, a few weeks ago, reporter Sarah Horne and a photographer (whose name I didn’t get) from the New York Post came out to explore Green-Wood. I showed them around and they were very impressed by the place and its many great … Read more
I’ve been leading Halloween-related tours of Green-Wood (featuring spirits, murders, and mayhem) for about 20 years now. It has always been one on the Saturday before Halloween, then one on the Sunday. And, not surprisingly, given the association of cemeteries and Halloween, these are typically our biggest tours of the year. But this year was … Read more
Henry George (1839-1897) came a long way. Born into a middle class Philadelphia family, he left school at the age of 14, ending his formal education, to work as an errand boy. He worked for years, and was long penniless. But he became a writer, and began to earn a living. Struck by the post-Civil … Read more
We tried something new this year for openhousenewyork: opening up many of our tombs that had never before been opened to the public. And it was a huge hit. From big crowds–we had 2,000+ online reservations, plus hundreds of walk-ups–to enthusiastic attendees–just about everyone I spoke with seemed to be having a great time–to volunteers … Read more
This is Louis Lang (1814–1893), painter and Green-Wood permanent resident. His gravestone, on the hill adjoining our Historic Chapel, describes him simply: “Artist.” We have several of his paintings in our Green-Wood Historic Fund collections, including this gem, which we recently acquired: And here is a spectacular Lang painting, just restored, that is about to … Read more