Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum

The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum is a private burial site within the Moravian Cemetery in the New Dorp neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City. It was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 19th century, when the Vanderbilt family was the wealthiest in America.[1]

Vanderbilt Family Cemetery
Mausoleum of the Vanderbilt family
Details
Location
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°34′48″N 74°7′00″W
Size22 acres (8.9 ha)[1]
Find a GraveVanderbilt Family Cemetery
Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum
Location2205 Richmond Rd., Staten Island, New York
Built1885–1886
ArchitectRichard Morris Hunt
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.100006780
NYCL No.1208
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 30, 2021[2]
Designated NYCLApril 12, 2016

Location

The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum is on the eastern slope of Todt Hill,[3] inside the Moravian Cemetery located at 2205 Richmond Road. The cemetery opened in 1740 and is the largest and oldest active cemetery on Staten Island.

Todt Hill is the highest natural point on the Eastern Seaboard between Cape Cod and Florida, rising to 410 feet (120 m).[3]

History

In 1865, Cornelius Vanderbilt gave the Moravian Church 8.5 acres (3.4 ha). Three years later, he donated an additional 45 acres (18 ha), which is the majority of the Moravian Cemetery and the site of the private Vanderbilt plot. Later, his son William Henry Vanderbilt gave a further 4 acres (1.6 ha) and constructed the residence for the cemetery superintendent. William commissioned the family mausoleum, and was the richest person in America when he died in December 1885.[1]

Mausoleum

The Vanderbilt mausoleum, designed by Richard Morris Hunt and constructed in 1885–1886,[3] is part of the family's private section within the cemetery. Hunt's design was inspired by the 12th-century Romanesque Saint-Gilles-du-Gard Abbey near Arles, France. The landscaped grounds around the mausoleum were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Vanderbilt section is not open to the public. Interment within the mausoleum was reserved to those with the Vanderbilt name, including sons, their wives, and unmarried daughters. It houses the remains of all four of William and Maria's sons and three of their wives.[1]

The mausoleum was made a New York City designated landmark in 2016.[4][5] The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission's chair said at the time: "The Vanderbilt Mausoleum is an extraordinary monument to America's Gilded Age."[3] In June 2021, the mausoleum was nominated for inclusion on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places.[6] It was added to the NRHP on July 30, 2021.[2]

Vanderbilt Cemetery Association

The nonprofit Vanderbilt Cemetery Association was created in 2010 by members of the Vanderbilt family to help preserve and protect the property. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III is chairman.[7]

Notable burials

Notable burials in the Vanderbilt family's private section within the cemetery include:[1]

See also

References

  1. Caratzas, Michael (April 12, 2016). "Vanderbilt Mausoleum, Staten Island" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  2. "Weekly List 2021 08 06". National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service). August 6, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  3. "Commission Designates Eight Backlog Sites as Official City Landmarks" (Press release). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. April 12, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  4. Dunlap, David W. (April 12, 2016). "Pepsi-Cola Sign in Queens Gains Landmark Status". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  5. Matua, Angela (April 12, 2016). "Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City is officially a New York City landmark". QNS.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  6. Dalton, Kristin F. (June 11, 2021). "Vanderbilt cemetery, mausoleum in New Dorp nominated for State and National Registers of Historic Places". silive. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  7. "Vanderbilt Cemetery Association, Inc". OpenCorporates. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
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