Having come across many fascinating Green-Wood stories over the course of the last 30 years, I know that there is always one more just around the corner. And recently that was the case, when Mike Stalzer, on Instagram, shared the story of a “double suicide.” This is one I had not heard of before. But … Read more
William Merritt Chase (1849-1916), who is interred at Green-Wood with his favorite model and wife, Alice Gerson Chase, was one of the giants of American painting. Chase was one of America’s, and the world’s, great painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He painted prolifically in a remarkable range of styles–from Old Master … Read more
One of the big plusses–among many–of being Green-Wood’s historian is that I get to work on several fascinating projects simultaneously. And, when knowledge gained on one of those projects comes together with what I have learned working on another, it is very special. In 2002, inspired by the restoration and re-dedication at Green-Wood of New … Read more
Benjamin Feldman is one of Green-Wood’s most ardent enthusiasts. For many years, Ben spent a good deal of his free time cataloguing Green-Wood’s collections. Inspired by Green-Wood stories, he wrote Butchery on Bond Street: Sexual Politics and The Burdell-Cunningham Case in Antebellum New York (2007) (the story of the Dr. Harvey Burdell and Emma Cunningham, … Read more
The Green-Wood Historic Fund continues to collect–sometimes by donation, sometimes by purchase. We are approaching 10,000 items–paintings, books, photographs, newspapers, etc., in our collections. We recently heard from Linda Welsh, great great granddaughter of James Howell Jr. (1829-1897) and Annie Tunstall Howell (ca. 1832-1900). They are interred at Green-Wood in section 113, lot 16983. She … Read more
Last week, I was finishing up work on a book, “The Gallant Sims,” A Civil War Hero Rediscovered, to be published on November 1 by the Green-Wood Historic Fund (it should be for sale in Green-Wood’s online store right around that date), with funding from Furthermore Grants in Publishing, a program of the J.M. Kaplan … Read more
Marianne Hurley is a landmarks preservationist with New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. She recently did a stellar job of researching and writing the Landmarks Preservation Report which led to the designation of Green-Wood’s Chapel and its Fort Hamilton Parkway Entrance as New York City landmarks. During the course of her research, Marianne came across … Read more
James Whyte Davis was a baseball pioneer. He began playing with the Knickerbockers Base Ball Club of New York City in 1845. He was a leading Knickerbocker player and then an officer of of the club, serving as the Knickerbockers’ president from 1858 to 1860. He wound up with the Knicks tattered early banner–it spent … Read more
The Green-Wood Historic Fund Collections have just acquired a wonderful pastel portrait of permanent Green-Wood resident Clarkson Crolius, through a donation by collector Ed King: In 2012, I blogged about Clarkson Crolius, one of Green-Wood’s most interesting permanent residents. At that time, The Green-Wood Historic Fund just had purchased one of his stoneware crocks: So … Read more
Leonard Jerome (1817-1891), who is interred at Green-Wood, was tremendously wealthy–he spent most of his life speculating in and manipulating stocks on Wall Street, making and losing several huge fortunes. George Templeton Strong, New York City’s great 19th century diarist, described him disparagingly as “Jerome (Not the Saint But the Stockjobber).” One contemporary described him … Read more