By Alex Vastola, Intern, Pratt Institute, School of Information
Title: Founding Documents, 1837-1899
Predominant Dates:1838-1842
Extent: 4.0 Boxes
Arrangement: Arranged by Series.
Subjects: Abstracts of Title, Act of Incorporation, Bergen, Cornelius, Business--Records, Cemeteries--New York (State)--New York--History, Cemeteries--Recording--New York State, Cemeteries--United States--History, Cemeteries--United States--History--19th Century, Cemetery Development, City Council of Brooklyn, Deeds, Douglass, David Bates, Fences, Gates and Railings, Green-Wood Cemetery--New York, N.Y., Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, Land contracts, Land Development, Land Sales contracts, Landscape architecture--New York (State)--New York--Designs and plans, Legal Documents, New York (N.Y.)--Politics and Government--to 1898, New York State Senate, Real estate transactions--New York(State)--Brooklyn--History
Forms of Material: Correspondence, Newspaper Clippings
Languages: English
By the 1830s, New York City and the surrounding area had a pressing need for a large, rural burial ground. Before 1838, burial procedures were carried out various churches, which caused unsanitary conditions for the city’s water supply and its people. Most churchyards were terribly overcrowded by this time, and there were few regulations to ensure sanitary and respectful disposal of human remains. In late 1837, a committee was formed to seek land that could be developed for a large burial ground. An area of Gowanus, Brooklyn was soon identified, selected for its beauty and for the availability of the land. The committee turned its attention to the organization of Green-Wood Cemetery, and crafted the first regulations and procedures under which the cemetery would operate.
In 1838, the New York senate passed an act of incorporation granting Green-Wood Cemetery the status of a corporation. The cemetery had been in planning for some time, largely under the direction of Henry Pierrepont and Major David Bates Douglass.
The Founding Documents collection contains a large array of documents related to the founding of Green-Wood, including rare correspondence, legal documents, financial records, and minutes and resolutions of the founding committee, detailing the process by which Green-Wood was developed as New York’s first large rural cemetery. Also included are maps, charts, and news articles relating to the incorporation and development of the Green-Wood Cemetery between the years of 1837 and 1899.
This collection is divided into eight series: Legal Documents, Land Development, Financial Records, Committee Reports and Resolutions, Committee Minutes, Henry Pierrepont Correspondence, Miscellaneous Correspondence, and Printed Materials.
The Founding Documents collection and its contents are important for providing insight into the proceedings of the physical and legal establishment of the Green-Wood Cemetery and how such developments have had a lasting effect on the policies of the cemetery in the present day. This collection is contained within four boxes, most of which are designed for oversized materials. Many documents are in embrittled condition, and the worst have been encased in Mylar. All materials are organized by subject and are original to this collection. Please refer to the container list for further information.
Researchers may also wish to consult the following collections: The Henry Pierrepont Papers, which contains more information on Pierrepont’s role in the founding of the cemetery; Farm Conveyances and Deeds, for information regarding the purchase of the land that would become Green-Wood Cemetery; Cemetery By-Laws and Act of Incorporation, for later information on committee procedures and changes to the charter; Minutes of the Standing Committee, for information on later committee procedures; and Reports of the Board of Trustees for more records regarding the development of the cemetery and its early operation.
Abstracts of Title
Act of Incorporation
Bergen, Cornelius
Business--Records
Cemeteries--New York (State)--New York--History
Cemeteries--Recording--New York State
Cemeteries--United States--History
Cemeteries--United States--History--19th Century
Cemetery Development
City Council of Brooklyn
Deeds
Douglass, David Bates
Fences, Gates and Railings
Green-Wood Cemetery--New York, N.Y.
Henry Evelyn Pierrepont
Land contracts
Land Development
Land Sales contracts
Landscape architecture--New York (State)--New York--Designs and plans
Legal Documents
New York (N.Y.)--Politics and Government--to 1898
New York State Senate
Real estate transactions--New York(State)--Brooklyn--History
Repository: The Green-Wood Cemetery
Original/Copies Note: For more information please see http://thegreen-woodcemeteryfoundingdocumentsexhibition.weebly.com/.
Related Materials: For more information please see http://thegreen-woodcemeteryfoundingdocumentsexhibition.weebly.com/.
Processing Information: Accession #: 009-2013
Item #287: Conditions on the Sale of Lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery to Churches and Congregations, New York, February 10, 1840
In this publication, the Green-Wood Cemetery Association has printed a report on how these conditions were decided upon by the Association, what the conditions are in detail, and an abstract of these conditions. There are eight conditions if churches or congregations want to buy burial lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery: 1. Each church or congregation will be sold lots in groups of seventy-five or more lots, $70.00 per lot, bought buy a bond issued by the church or congregation that is payable for five years at five percent per year; 2. These lots are held by the Cemetery Corporation until used by the owners; 3. That if lots are sold, they can only be sold to people of the same Congregation or Parish or to other Churches in groups of a minimum of fifty lots, and the bond, if not paid by the sale, will be transferred to the new owners; 4. To protect the Association from incurring land debt, all money paid or to be paid for these lots will be placed with the New York Life Insurance & Trust Company, and any money taken out of these trusts by the Association for expenses on the lots purchased will not exceed half of the trust funds deposited, or one-fourth if there is unpaid liens on these lots; 5. That these church or congregation owned lots will all be in the same area of the cemetery that will not interfere with its general plan, and not be collectively enclosed, but bordered by walkways and avenues; 6. That if by May 1, 1840, one thousand lots are taken by the churches and congregations, the subscription books for lot sales will be closed, not reopened until the churches and congregations determine the location of their lots, and the terms for reopened the books for subscriptions are discussed; 7. That the Trustees of the Green-Wood Cemetery are responsible for the supervision and management of these lands (considered private burial grounds) and to make by-laws, regulations, and rules to manage these lots; and 8. That these conditions are not binding to subscribers until one thousand lots have been sold to churches or congregations, and that interest on these lots will not start to accumulate until a wooden fence is built around the borders of the Cemetery and a caretaker appointed to maintain it.
This document is important because it outlines the specific terms of churches and congregations for buying lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery, and also reveals the motives behind allowing this sale. The cemetery wanted at least one thousand lots sold, indicated that they wanted to make these lot sales to churches and congregations to both profit off a substantial sale of these lots, and to help grow the portion of the cemetery that is developed for burial purposes.
Item #288: News Article from the New York Express *(Undated – ca. 1839?) about the opening of the Green-Wood Cemetery
In this article, it is explained that the Green-Wood Cemetery is now open for burials, and celebrates that New York finally has a rural cemetery like the one at Mount Auburn for the secure burial of the dead. It states that this solves the problem of overcrowded church burial grounds in Manhattan, providing a secure place to bury the dead outside of the city. The article also describes how the lands of the cemetery have no burials yet, how it is covered with woods, lakes, and streams, but does have almost four miles of roads cut through its woods.
Item #289: News Article about the Auction of the “Schermerhorn Farm” *(Undated)
This article states that there will be an auction of a tract of land called the “Schermerhorn Farm” and that the Green-Wood Cemetery will be included in the mortgage.
This news article is important because it documents the auction of the tract of land belonging to Mr. Schermerhorn, which the cemetery bought to expand the size of the cemetery.
Item #290: News Article about the Opening of Lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery for Inspection and Purchase to Families and Churches, May 6, 1839
In this article, the Trustees of the Green-Wood Cemetery announce that they are opening the lots of the Green-Wood Cemetery for inspection and purchase to both families and churches, and that the proceeds from these sales will be used for the preservation and maintenance of the cemetery grounds.
This news article is important because it is the first time that the cemetery is advertising in the newspapers about opening the cemetery for business, less than a year after they have obtained their charter of incorporation in April of 1838.
Item #291: Sheet of Paper: “Re Incorporation, Purchase of land, Subscription to stock, etcetera *(Undated)
Piece of paper – no significance.
Item #292: News Article about Land Auction Schedule for September, 1841, by David Codwise, Master in Chancery, from the Brooklyn Evening Star, Wednesday evening, September 1, 1841
In this news article, Mr. Codwise announces that there has been a decision in the Abraham Schermerhorn vs. Parmenus Johnson and others case, in which three tracts of land belonging formerly to Jacob Bennet (a plantation or farm), Abraham Bennet (a tract of woodlands), and Garret Bennet (a “salt meadow”), that is now owned by Mr. Schermerhorn, will be publicly auctioned in September of 1841.
This news article is important because it announces the auction of the lands belonging to Mr. Schermerhorn in Gowanus, Brooklyn, which the Green-Wood Cemetery Association would purchase to significantly expand the size the cemetery.
Item #293: News Article about Visitors to the Green-Wood Cemetery and the Opening of Subscription to lots in the Cemetery *(Undated)
In this news article, the writer states that over a hundred carriages have visited the Green-Wood Cemetery on some days since it opened to the public for inspection and the sale of burial lots. The writer does not doubt that this subscription system will be successful, but wonders why the sale of these lots to churches has been delayed, and hopes that this delay will end soon.
This news article is important for two reasons: the first is that it reveals that the cemetery was a popular place to visit when it was first established, with hundreds of carriages of visitors coming to the grounds; second, it reveals that during the founding years of the cemetery, the sale of lots to churches was not immediate, but was delayed, indicating debate on this issue between the cemetery administrators and the churches.
This article is important both because it shows the public reaction to the opening of the Green-Wood Cemetery when it was first opened and what its grounds were like around 1839.
Item #294: “Maj. Douglass circular – Sale of his library” *(Undated)
In this circular, Major Douglass announces that he will be selling his library in January. This library has many valuable editions in good condition, which are being sold by Major Douglass due to private and personal reasons. The books are printed in both English and French editions and mainly cover the topic of civil engineering, as well as some other miscellaneous topics, including natural philosophy and mathematics.
This circular is important because it reveals that Major Douglass, the first surveyor of the grounds of the Green-Wood Cemetery, is experiencing financial hardship, if he has to sell his library, a library which could also have been significant since the engineering books in this library may have been referred to by Major Douglass when he first surveyed and laid out the grounds of the cemetery.
Item #295: Notice to the Subscribers to Burial Lots at the Green-Wood Cemetery, by J. A. Perry, Vice President, Office of the Green-Wood Cemetery, No. 40 Broadway, September 1, 1842
In this notice, Mr. Perry explains that the present surveyor of the Green-Wood Cemetery, Mr. Hotchkiss, will be at the cemetery from 10 am-6 pm to help potential lot buyers chose lots, and suggests potential subscribers to take this opportunity. In addition, he states that the deeds for these lots are created and numbered based on the subscription under which they were ordered. He states that potential lot subscribers should obtain this deed, both to be able to choose the location of the lot(s) the subscriber buys, and to let the surveyor know when the lot should be laid out on the map of the cemetery according to its deed(s).
This notice is important because it shows that the Green-Wood Cemetery in 1842 provided the services of their surveyor to help subscribers chose lots to buy, revealing how the cemetery worked with potential buyers of burial lots during their first founding years.
Item #296: Invitation for Land Proprietors’ Meeting, June 25, 1838
This invitation states that there will be a meeting of land proprietors who are interested in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn that will be held at the City Hotel, located at No. 163 Fulton Street in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 28, 1838 at 8 pm.
This invitation is important because it is inviting potential subscribers to come to the first meeting where the subscription books for the purchase of burial lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery will be opened. This represents the first meeting where the cemetery was open for business and began to sell lots for burial in the cemetery, and also provides the details about the meeting’s location. At this meeting, twenty-seven proprietors attended, where the plans of the cemetery were presented to them, and they (including some of the largest landowners) agreed to sell the lands at a fair price that were within the boundaries of the cemetery, with these proprietors and commissioners formalizing this arrangement by signing an agreement on June 28, 1838 (Cleaveland, 1866, page 10). It is important to note that in this final arrangement, the average cost of the ground was very much below the values laid out by the appraisers on September 24, 1838, and the owners agreed to be paid for this property in cemetery company stock (Cleaveland, 1866, page 11). The board of appraisers appointed to determine the value of these tracts of land was C. P. Smith, Henry E. Pierrepont, Major D. B. Douglass, and Judge Hammond (Cleaveland, 1866, page 10).
Item #301: Circular about the Opening of Burial Lots for Internments at the Green-Wood Cemetery, signed by Zebedee Cook, Jr. Office of the Mutual Safety Insurance Company at No. 44 Wall Street and Cyrus P. Smith of Brooklyn, New York, May 6, 1842
This circular announces that since the Trustees of the Committee of the Board of the Green-Wood Cemetery have received enough subscriptions from potential lot buyers to open up the first one hundred acres of land at the cemetery for burials. They would like to commence internments as soon as possible, so they state that they want subscribers to pay the signers of this circular in order to get the deed(s) to their lot(s). In addition, they state that a fence enclosure is planned for the cemetery by the spring, and that any information on selecting further burial lots should be referred to either the signers of this circular or J. A. Perry of No. 1 Hanover Street.
This circular is important because it documents when the cemetery finally had enough subscribers to start developing land within the cemetery for burials.
Item #302: Blank Form for the G Bond for the Lot Deed of a Lot in the Green-Wood Cemetery *(Undated)
This G bond form lays out the conditions for bonds offered to let subscribers to burial lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery obtain the deeds to these lots, such as that the bonds has a rate of seven percent interest per year.
This bond form is important because it is the type of bond offered to the first lot subscribers for lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery.
Item #303: *Same as Item #302.
Folder 28: Template for “Cemetery Bond R”—Bond for Private Loans to Cemetery
Item #304: Form for the R Bond made out to Russell Stebbins of New York City for $1,000.00 to the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation, 1839
In this R bond form, Russell Stebbins is loaning the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation $1,000.00 in a bond to be paid back at seven percent interest per year, and that if the cemetery corporation pays back this loan, the conditions of the loan will be void.
This bond form is important because it not only documents a financial transaction of a large amount of money to the Green-Wood Cemetery during its first year of operation, but it also gives an example of the terms at this time for a private loan to the cemetery to be offered.
