I was doing some research recently, helping a New York Times reporter with an article, and thought it would be interesting to find out how the frequency of burials at Green-Wood has changed over the cemetery’s history. Though Green-Wood was chartered by New York State on April 18, 1838, is was more than two years … Read more
Well, we did know that Edwin Bennett was interred at Green-Wood and had served in the Civil War. His obituary in The New York Times told us that much. But we couldn’t find the details of his service. That’s where Sue Ramsey, a truly remarkable researcher, came in. Sue, who lives out in California, loves … Read more
A few weeks ago, in preparing for a tour of Civil War Conderates who are interred at Green-Wood, I came across the story of Gilbert Elliott (1843-1895). It is really quite a remarkable tale: Gilbert, with some training in boat building and some experience as a law clerk, enlisted in 1862 in the 17th North … Read more
Today’s New York Times reports that the Obamas’ have made their choices, from several Washington museums, of the art that will be hanging in the White House during their occupancy. Take a look at the slide show of some of the highlights–two paintings by George Catlin and the patent model for Samuel Finley Breese Morse’s … Read more
I have long-known the story of Samuel Chester Reid (1783-1861). Reid was a naval officer and hero of the War of 1812–commanding the privateer General Armstrong off the Azores, he took on a British fleet, delaying its arrival in Louisiana, and enabling General Andrew Jackson to triumph over the British at the Battle of New … Read more
The Green-Wood Historic Fund’s Restoration and Preservation Program is truly cutting edge. No other cemetery in America has as active and as wide-reaching a program. Headed by Frank Morelli, it has rebuilt entire monuments with pieces dug out of the ground or molded as needed. It has restored wings and hands to angels. It has … Read more
The Green-Wood Historic Fund announced today that five prominent Americans from the fields of art, academia, music and film have been named to a special selection committee that will choose a new “Angel of Music” sculpture to grace the gravesite of legendary 19th century American composer and pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829 -1869) in Brooklyn’s … Read more
Today is the 70th anniversary of the premier of “The Wizard of Oz,” the legendary movie starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Billie Burke. Frank Morgan, the Wizard himself, is interred at Green-Wood. For years, he has been the last stop on my Halloween tours of the … Read more
The 150th anniversary of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry is just a few weeks away.
The Green-Wood Historic Fund, at its second annual benefit this past Thursday [09/17/09], presented the DeWitt Clinton Award for Excellence to Nancy and Otis Pearsall for their lifelong dedication to historic preservation. The event, which highlighted “The Artists of Green-Wood,” attracted more than 225 guests, with a special trolley tour, performance by Angels & Accordions … Read more
I happened to be reading New York Magazine yesterday and came across an interview with actor Alec Baldwin.
On Sunday morning, July 28, 1907, a great fire swept through Coney Island, destroying almost all of George C. Tilyou’s amusement park, Steeplechase Park.
I recently vacationed in Spring Lake, New Jersey, along the Jersey shore. A very nice little town. On a quiet morning, we walked over to the local historical society. And, there it was: an oar from the S.S. Morro Castle, the great luxury passenger ship that caught fire off Asbury Park on September 8, 1934, then ran aground just feet from the Asbury Park beach. In all, 135 of the 549 people aboard the ship were lost.
Historic grave sites are crumbling at New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery — the resting place of Leonard Bernstein, Louis Tiffany and others — and the money to save them is scarce. It’s tough being an angel, even in as idyllic a setting as the Green-Wood Cemetery, where the leaves of shade trees rustle in the summer … Read more
A couple of months ago, I did a cemetery tour for the Bayport Heritage Association. It was quite an interesting experience with a very enthusiastic group. One of the pleasures of doing tours for such groups is my opportunity to learn from them. Though I’ve been doing tours of Green-Wood since 1990, I can only fit so much into my brain.
To see the segment online, visit NY1’s website. History buffs gathered Sunday morning to celebrate the biggest battle of the Revolutionary War in Brooklyn. The event commemorated the 233rd anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn. The battle took place August 27th, 1776 at what is now Green-Wood Cemetery in Park Slope. It was also the … Read more
EAST MANATEE — a University Park sculptor could be in line to help correct a wrong in a famous Brooklyn cemetery. Myra Weisgold is one of five sculptors chosen to participate in a competition to recreate the “Angel of Music,” a sculpture which once graced the grave of 19th century American composer and pianist Louis … Read more
Historian’s Second Book Documents Scandalous 1920s Real Estate Baron By Phoebe Neidl / July 29, 2009 BROOKLYN — Green-Wood Cemetery has proven to be fertile ground for author Benjamin Feldman. This summer marked the release of his second book, and just as his first, it tells the true and titillating tale of one of the … Read more
Tuesday July 28, 2009 By Chris Waddington, Contributing writer, The Times-Picayune One of New Orleans’ greatest musicians got a boost in New York this month, but he couldn’t join in the celebratory announcement. That’s because Louis Moreau Gottschalk was laid to rest in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery in 1869. On July 6, the historic cemetery announced … Read more