By Nathalie Belkin, Lead Processor; Gabriella Carl-Johnson, Kay Menick, Sara Fetherolf, Erin Allsop, Jessica Mack, and Katie Alleman, Interns
Title: Architectural Drawings and Blueprints, c. 1880s-1990s
Predominant Dates:1910-1930s
Extent: 0.0
Subjects: A. Faranda and Son, Acea family, Agoglia family, Altar to Liberty: Minerva, Architectural Drawings, Architecture, Arnold, K.F., Arnold, N.B., Arnold family, Art nouveau (Architecture), Bahrenburg, John H., Bahrenburg family, Barclay family, Barrow, ME James T., Barrow family, Barthman family, Beaux-Arts architecture, Benisch Bros. Monumental Works, Blueprints, Bourne family, Bromell family, Brown, John W., Brown family, Buildings--Design and construction, C.E. Tayntor & Co., Cemeteries--New York (State)--New York--History, Cinerary urns, Colyer family, Cushman, Eugene, Cutting, James D.W., Cutting family, Daly, Margaret, Daly family, Davis Granite Co, Architects and Contractors, de Aldama family, DeLaCour and Ferrara, Delafield, Major Rich D., Delafield family, Dewey family, Doerschuck family, Dunne family, Egyptian revival (Architecture), Euler family, Farrington, Gould and Hoagland, Feitner, John, Felzmann family, Flagg, Ernest, Gilbert family, Goodnough family, Gothic revival (Architecture), Gould, J. R, Gould, James S., Gould family, Green-Wood Cemetery--New York, N.Y., Greve family, Griswold family, Hapgood family, Harder family, Harrison Granite Co., Havemeyer family, Heins and La Farge Architects, Higgins, Charles, Higgins family, Hillside architecture, Hoffman & Prochazka, Designers, Sculptors, and Builders, Horn, Alfred E., Horn family, Howland family, John Thatcher & Son, Kampfe family, Kenneth, W.D., Lawrence family, Lingard family, Ludlum, Emma R., Ludlum family, Martin, Robert, Martin family, Mausoleums, McAlpin family, Murdock family, Obelisks, Parish family, Parsons family, Penn Brass and Bronze Works, Pitbladdo Monumental Works, Polak family, Presbrey-Coykendall Company, Presbrey-Leland Monument Company, Renwick, Aspinwall, and Tucker, Reynolds family, Riley family, Ritzheimer family, Robinson, F. Delancey, Romanesque architecture, Rosanelli family, Ruckstull, F. W. (Fred Wellington), 1853-1942, Sands family, Sarcophagi, Sculpture and architecture, Sepulchral chapels, Sepulchral monuments, Victorian, Sepulchral monuments--New York (State)--New York, Sepulchral monuments--United States, Sepulchral monuments industry, Smallman, Thomas F., Smallman family, Somers family, Stephens, Annie W., Stephens, Benjamin F., Stephens family, Stevenson family, Stone, Gould, & Co, Designers and Builders, Sullivan, John W., Sullivan family, Texter family, Tiefel family, Tombs & sepulchral monuments, Torrio, Johnny, Torrio Family, Umberto Innocenti and Richard K. Webel, Landscape Architects, Underground architecture, Upjohn, Hobart, VanRensselaer family, Vaults (Sepulchral), W.F. Benedict & Son, W.W. Leland Co. Inc., Walsh, James F., Warren & Wetmore, Wesselman family, Wood family, Woolley family
Languages: English
The Architectural Drawings and Blueprints collection contains over 150 separate series of designs, each of which has one to around 20 individual drawings. Each series represents designs for a mausoleum or other architectural feature at Green-Wood Cemetery.
Most of the designs are for private family mausoleums, although the collection also includes blueprint materials for the historic Green-Wood chapel designed by Warren & Wetmore, alterations made to the Fifth Avenue gate, and plans for the mid-twentieth-century Columbarium. Other notable features in the collection include the Higgins mausoleum series, which contains photographs and early designs of the famous Battle Hill monument Altar to Liberty: Minerva by sculptor F. Wellington Ruxell. Many additional series may include more famous names in New York City history, such as those for the Cooper-Hewitt family and the Torrio family.
The majority of these drawings are printed on large blueprint paper, although there are a significant number of series that contain original drawings on tracing paper or drafting linen, as well as prints on Mylar, photocopy paper, or other reproduction materials. Many series also contain specifications documents—legal agreements between the architectural firm and the cemetery, which outline the plans, materials, and workman regulations for construction. In some cases, there is additional material, such as correspondence with lot owners and alternate mausoleum designs.
The collection’s dates range from the 1880s to the 1990s; the majority of the mausoleum designs were created between 1910 and 1930, at a time when it was widely popular among upper-class families to have a mausoleum or vault in which to inter their deceased relatives. Many architects of the time specialized in mausoleum design. Architectural firms that produced a large number of mausoleum designs in this collection include the Presbrey-Leland Monument Company, John Feitner Architects, and the Harrison Granite Company.
Researchers may wish to consult a specific series, which can give an interesting insight into the family in question, or they may wish to look at multiple series in the collection, in order to gain an example of the way construction and design aesthetics changed over time. The collection is a particularly valuable example of the way cemetery architecture developed in its golden years, particularly because many of the wealthiest and most prestigious New York families chose to be interred at Green-Wood.
The collection is currently stored in two locations—some material is in the Green-Wood archives, while many other blueprints are kept in the surveyor’s office of the administrative building. The container list has additional information on each item in this significant and highly variable collection, including notes on the date of designs, the architectural firm that created the drawings, and information on the size, condition, markings, and design features of each piece. All blueprint materials have been scanned and are digitally available; a preview of the image file is attached to each item. High-resolution images of each scan are available upon request.
The material is in varying condition, and embrittled drawings have been encapsulated in Mylar to ensure preservation.
The Green-Wood archives hold additional records acquired from the Presbrey-Leland Monument Company relating to Green-Wood Cemetery, and researchers may find it useful to consult this collection in conjunction with the Architectural Drawings and Blueprints.
A. Faranda and Son
Acea family
Agoglia family
Altar to Liberty: Minerva
Architectural Drawings
Architecture
Arnold, K.F.
Arnold, N.B.
Arnold family
Art nouveau (Architecture)
Bahrenburg, John H.
Bahrenburg family
Barclay family
Barrow, ME James T.
Barrow family
Barthman family
Beaux-Arts architecture
Benisch Bros. Monumental Works
Blueprints
Bourne family
Bromell family
Brown, John W.
Brown family
Buildings--Design and construction
C.E. Tayntor & Co.
Cemeteries--New York (State)--New York--History
Cinerary urns
Colyer family
Cushman, Eugene
Cutting, James D.W.
Cutting family
Daly, Margaret
Daly family
Davis Granite Co, Architects and Contractors
de Aldama family
DeLaCour and Ferrara
Delafield, Major Rich D.
Delafield family
Dewey family
Doerschuck family
Dunne family
Egyptian revival (Architecture)
Euler family
Farrington, Gould and Hoagland
Feitner, John
Felzmann family
Flagg, Ernest
Gilbert family
Goodnough family
Gothic revival (Architecture)
Gould, J. R
Gould, James S.
Gould family
Green-Wood Cemetery--New York, N.Y.
Greve family
Griswold family
Hapgood family
Harder family
Harrison Granite Co.
Havemeyer family
Heins and La Farge Architects
Higgins, Charles
Higgins family
Hillside architecture
Hoffman & Prochazka, Designers, Sculptors, and Builders
Horn, Alfred E.
Horn family
Howland family
John Thatcher & Son
Kampfe family
Kenneth, W.D.
Lawrence family
Lingard family
Ludlum, Emma R.
Ludlum family
Martin, Robert
Martin family
Mausoleums
McAlpin family
Murdock family
Obelisks
Parish family
Parsons family
Penn Brass and Bronze Works
Pitbladdo Monumental Works
Polak family
Presbrey-Coykendall Company
Presbrey-Leland Monument Company
Renwick, Aspinwall, and Tucker
Reynolds family
Riley family
Ritzheimer family
Robinson, F. Delancey
Romanesque architecture
Rosanelli family
Ruckstull, F. W. (Fred Wellington), 1853-1942
Sands family
Sarcophagi
Sculpture and architecture
Sepulchral chapels
Sepulchral monuments, Victorian
Sepulchral monuments--New York (State)--New York
Sepulchral monuments--United States
Sepulchral monuments industry
Smallman, Thomas F.
Smallman family
Somers family
Stephens, Annie W.
Stephens, Benjamin F.
Stephens family
Stevenson family
Stone, Gould, & Co, Designers and Builders
Sullivan, John W.
Sullivan family
Texter family
Tiefel family
Tombs & sepulchral monuments
Torrio, Johnny
Torrio Family
Umberto Innocenti and Richard K. Webel, Landscape Architects
Underground architecture
Upjohn, Hobart
VanRensselaer family
Vaults (Sepulchral)
W.F. Benedict & Son
W.W. Leland Co. Inc.
Walsh, James F.
Warren & Wetmore
Wesselman family
Wood family
Woolley family
Details: Written by Joseph Bermel, on his letterhead, to Green-Wood. He states that Miss Kratsch informed him of the positioning of the vault and the removal of a pump. The letter also asks for acknowledgment of this. The bottom of the letter has a hand-drawn diagram of where the vault is located, and where the pump to be removed is positioned.
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Notes/Markings: The back of the letter features handwritten figures in pencil.
Condition: Very good. There are visible fold lines and folds in the paper and minimal wear and tear on the top of the letterhead.
Scale: 1”= 1’
Details: This plan shows the front view of the mausoleum, and illustrates the separate components of the structure, complete with measurements. Four Corinthian-style columns, a polished door frame, frieze, and “1908”-inscribed keystone are also illustrated.
Size: 18” x 24.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Condition: Very good. Minimal wear and tear along the edges of the plan.
Details: The only differences between Item B and this blueprint are that there is less decoration on this plan, and no year etched into the space between the top of the door and the peaked roof.
Size: 18” x 20.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Notes/Markings: “dark awning” is written around the door frame and “dark quiney” is written on the pillars.
Condition: Excellent
Scale: 1” = 1’
Details: This plan shows a cross-section of the mausoleum from above. At the bottom of the plan are the four columns, the middle section shows an open area with two side windows, and at the back are four symmetrical rectangles, presumably the vaults.
Size: 17.5” x 23.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Materials Noted: Marble, brick
Notes/Markings: “wainscot to finish” is noted on the bottom left of the inner part of the plan.
Condition: Excellent. Minor wear and tear along the edges of the plan.
Scale: 1”= 1’
Details: This view shows the side of the mausoleum. One column is visible, as are the foundation, floor, roof, one window and ventilation vents.
Size: 22.5” x 17.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Condition: Very good. There are four sets of staple holes along the right side of the plan and a small corner fold along the bottom left of the plan.
Scale: 1” = 1’
Details: This view illustrates the blocks that make up the back of the mausoleum, and their respective measurements. The outline of the back of the peaked roof and its base are also visible.
Size: 18.3” x 24”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Condition: Very good. There is some minor wear and tear along the edges of the blueprint. The bottom right side corner is torn and folded.
Scale: 1” = 1’
Details: This view shows two cross-sections: “½ section in front of catacombs” and “½ section thro catacombs”. In each, the foundation, external walls, and roof are illustrated. The right section of the plan shows more detail, including measurements.
Size: 17.8” x 23.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Materials Noted: Marble
Condition: Very good. There is minimal wear and tear along the edges with some staple holes along the top of the plan.
Scale: 1” = 1’
Details: This plan shows a detailed view of the side of the mausoleum. At the left, one column is shown. In the middle of the plan, a window opening with marble shelf, a bronze ventilator, and the marble floor are shown. At the rear of the mausoleum are three symmetrical, stacked vaults. The roof, foundation, and rear wall are also illustrated.
Size: 23.5” x 18”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Materials Noted: Slate, marble, brick and bronze.
Notes/Markings: “POL” is written on the column and on the front wall.
Condition: Very good. There are three holes along the right side of the plan.
Details: This diagram shows the mausoleum as it is situated on the lot. Measurements of the structure and of the lot are indicated.
Size: 12” x 15.5”
Drawing Material: Pencil on drafting paper.
Notes/Markings: On the top left corner it says: “Diameter of lot 38 Feet.” The bottom left corner says: “this vault to face the junction of path or walk - and driveway.”
Condition: Good. Some visible fold lines and surface dirt.
Scale: 1” = 1’
Details: This is a basic outline of the foundation of the Kratsch mausoleum. The concrete portion of the foundation, and the open areas of the mausoleum are illustrated, and measurements of each section are indicated.
Size: 17.5” x 24”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Condition: Very good. Some minor wear and tear along the edges.
Scale: ¾” = 1’
Details: Front Elevation: Duplicate of Item B, but with less detail and without measurements. This plan does show a large cross atop the mausoleum’s roof.
Side Elevation: Duplicate of Item E, but shows more detail of the columns and roof.
Size: 38.5” x 20”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Materials Noted: Bronze
Notes/Markings: Inside the door outline on the Side Elevation plan reads: “Bronze doors patterns to be as per design.”
Condition: Poor. The center left side of this blueprint is ripped away, as is the bottom center of the plan. However, the plan is mostly legible.
Details: Ground Plan: This detailed layout shows the top of the four columns that are at the entrance to the mausoleum, on either side of the doorway. The doorway and bronze doors, floor plan, thinner interior brick wall, stained glass window and marble floor are also shown.
Rear Elevation: This plan is less detailed than Item F. It shows no details or ornamentation, just two columns, a window, and the peaked roof with a circular bronze grille at its center.
Size: 40.5” x 21.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Materials Noted: Bronze, marble, brick, slate, and glass.
Condition: Poor. The edges are ripped away and missing from this plan and part of the left side is missing.
Scale: ¾” = 1’
Details: Transverse Section: This view illustrates each component of the mausoleum from the rear. It also shows the stained glass window in the center of the back wall, and the foundation.
Longitudinal Section: This is a duplicate of Item H in this series. The details are slightly different, but the main elements remain the same. .
Size: From the widest part of the remaining blueprint: 40.5” x 20.5”
Drawing Material: Blueprint
Materials Noted: Slate, brick, concrete, and marble.
Condition: Poor. Large pieces are missing from both the right and left sides. However, the majority of the plan is legible.
