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
Scale: 1” = 1’
Size: 10.5 x 12.5”
Details: Contains 4 details of of the bronze work on both upper and lower pediments. Drawings include elevations and sections.
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on linen.
Materials Noted: Bronze, stone
Notes/Markings: Notes written in black ink were added to the section drawings of both pediments. William C. Grassau, superintendent, initialed and dated a stamped approval in the bottom right corner.
Condition: Good. Small staple holes on the right edge and a brad hole in the center of the top edge
Details: An elevation and section view offer a detailed look at the pediment design (also seen in Item A). A title block provides the name of the mausoleum and the construction firm’s name and address.
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on paper with notes added in pencil.
Materials Noted: Cement, granite.
Notes/Markings: W. C. Grassau signed and dated his approval in pencil, located at the center of the bottom edge. He also crossed out a word and added another (this note is in pencil). Both notes are difficult to see. A note written by “F.G.O.” reads, “No raised lip on roof” with an arrow pointing to the section view.
Condition: The plan is in good condition, with small staple holes along the right edge. The actual drawing is very faint.
Details: Two aerial views and a side elevation show the foundation work, with dimensions and specific walls noted (e.g. front wall, side wall, catacomb wall, rear wall). Near the title block is a small drawing of the mausoleum with its surrounding lot and the paths it sits on (Corylus Path and Border Ave).
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on paper.
Materials Noted: Earth.
Notes/Markings: A small drawing in pencil is found on the reverse. The title block labels the drawing “Foundation Plan #92.”
Condition: Stained on the reverse and embrittled throughout with crease marks, tears, and staple holes. Encapsulated in Mylar.
Details: See Item C in this series.
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on paper.
Materials Noted: Earth.
Notes/Markings: Several updates regarding dimensions have been added. Calculations, drawings, and the family name are visible on the reverse. The title block labels the drawing “Foundation Plan #92.”
Condition: Embrittled and wrinkled throughout with a crease line running vertically through the center. Encapsulated in Mylar.
Scale: ½” = 1’
Details: This plan has 3 ½ drawings that show the outline of the mausoleum, including three aerial views and one side view.
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on paper with notes added in pencil.
Notes/Markings: “Corner of foundation - 2” below grade.” “Foundation for floor 7’ 2”.” “Foundation for catacombs 7’ 9”.” Several other measurements have been corrected in pencil. Calculations in pencil on the reverse, along with “Monaco” written in blue pencil.
Condition: Discolored on the reverse with wrinkles, small tears, and crease marks on the front. Staple holes along the bottom edge.
Scale: ¼” = 1’ (working drawings); ½” = 1’ (details)
Details: This plan shows 8 drawings as mentioned in the title. The title block reads “Mausoleum for Mrs Rosina Monaco Owner to be Erected at Greenwood Cemetery / Pasquale Gagliardi Architect 239 Navy Street Brooklyn N.Y.”
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on linen with notes in pencil, red pencil, and black ink
Materials Noted: Bronze, granite, brick, cement, marble, concrete, “blustone.”
Notes/Markings: All plans showing the front walkway (Foundation Plan, Floor Plan, Side Elevation, Front Elevation, Longitudinal Section) have that section crossed out in red pencil with “omit” written in black ink. The Foundation Plan has measurements corrected in pencil, and the Longitudinal Section includes an added drawing in black ink. Stamped, dated, and signed by W.C. Grassau, Green-Wood Superintendent. On the reverse: “Monaco” written in black ink; “Monaco 33709” written in pencil; the number 2 enclosed in a circle written in pencil.
Condition: Good. Discoloration on the edges and the reverse; wrinkles and creases on the front.
Scale: ½” = 1’
Details: The Front, Side, and Rear Elevations show different pediments and ornaments than in Item F, and the number of catacombs appears to have been reduced. The carving on the Front Elevation is different than Item F: this plan shows the frieze reading “Cav. Giuseppe Monaco” and the entrance steps carved with “Erected By His Wife Rosina Monaco.” The frieze on the Front Elevation for Item F reads “Monaco.”
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on linen.
Materials Noted: Bronze, Dark Barre, slate, concrete, marble.
Notes/Markings: Front Elevation: “Front symmetrical about this centre line,” “bronze door,” “polished dark barre.” Grade lines shown for all plans. On the reverse: “Monaco” written in blue pencil and the number 9 encircled in pencil.
Condition: Stains and discoloration on the reverse and front. Staple holes at the bottom edge; wrinkles and warping throughout.
Scale: ½” = 1’
Details: This plan is similar to Item G except it has notes added in red pencil and black ink. The Front Elevation is similar to Item F in that the carving in the frieze just reads “Monaco” with nothing on the stairs.
Drawing Material: Blueprint reproduction on linen with notes added in red pencil and black ink.
Materials Noted: See Item G.
Notes/Markings: Foundation Plan: section crossed out in red pencil, measurements corrected, and an illegible word written in red pencil. Front Elevation: arrows pointing to the columns; arrows pointing to the pediment ornaments with the word “NO;” cornice decoration added in pencil. Travers Section: measurements corrected in red; note in black ink near the pediments reads, “channelled in front and rea[r] pediment.” Side Elevation: arrows pointing to window and two illegible notes concerning the roof decoration. Stamped, dated, and signed by W.C. Grassau, Green-Wood Superintendent. “Monaco” written in black pen on the reverse.
Condition: Wrinkled and warped throughout with a crease line running horizontally near the top edge. Discoloration on the front and reverse.
Details: This 6 page bound document covers general instructions for construction, excavation, and materials to be used.
Drawing Material: Typewritten on tracing paper with notes added in pen.
Materials Noted: Portland Brand cement, sand, broken stone, North River hard bricks, concrete, Light Barre granite, Quincy polished granite, Dark Barre granite, LaFarge cement, Ozark Pink marble, dark bronze, aluminum bronze, copper wire cloth, translucent glass, plate glass.
Notes/Markings: The bottom right corner of each page is stamped, dated, and signed by Green-Wood’s superintendent, W.C.G. [William C. Grassau].
Condition: Good, with slight discolorations throughout and smudges on the first page.
Details: This is a 4 page bound document updating the previous specifications document approved in 1912. It includes sections on bonds and payments and provides information on the materials to be used in the construction of the mausoleum.
Drawing Material: Typewritten on tracing paper.
Materials Noted: Portland Brand cement, sand, broken stone, concrete, Light Barre granite, Dark Barre granite, LaFarge cement, Light Cloud Vermont marble, Pink Tennessee marble, slate, bronze, copper wire cloth, translucent glass, plate glass.
Notes/Markings:The bottom right corner of each page is stamped, dated, and signed by Green-Wood’s superintendent, W.C.G. [William C. Grassau].
Condition: Good, with a few smudges throughout.
