Green-Wood Cemetery Land Acquisition - Legal Documents, 1812-1935 | The Green-Wood Cemetery

By J.D. Arden, Steph Diorio, Nik Dragovic, Dana Hart, Pratt School of Information Students; Emily Chapin, Pratt School of Information Intern

Printer-friendly |

Collection Overview

Title: Green-Wood Cemetery Land Acquisition - Legal Documents, 1812-1935

Predominant Dates:1830-1860

Extent: 6.0 Boxes

Arrangement: The collection is arranged into 9 series, based on material type.

Subjects: Cemetery Development, Land contracts, Legal Documents

Abstract

The materials in this collection were found in a safe deposit box owned by the Green-Wood Cemetery. The majority of the materials pertain to legal transactions, and include abstracts, indentures, contracts, reports, bills, maps of cemetery plots, and correspondence between involved parties and legal counsel.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

These records reflect the years of consolidating property in the City of Brooklyn, in an area then known as Flatbush, for the land and building rights of Green-Wood Cemetery. The collection also includes some records of the purchase and sale of burial plots, as well as business correspondence.

Collection Historical Note

Green-Wood Cemetery is an historic and famous cemetery located in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. The brainchild of Brooklyn social leader Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, the cemetery was officially founded in 1838, although land was acquired prior to that date for its construction. The cemetery was a popular tourist attraction throughout most of the nineteenth century due to its park-style landscape, an idea inspired by the preexisting Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Many famous New Yorkers (and some famous non-New Yorkers) are buried within Green-Wood’s 478 acres, and in 2006 it was declared a National Historic Landmark, cementing its status as a cultural treasure.

Subject/Index Terms

Cemetery Development
Land contracts
Legal Documents

Administrative Information

Repository: The Green-Wood Cemetery

Processing Information: Accession #: 010-2015

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series I: Abstracts, 1834-1877],
[Series II: Indentures, 1849-1915],
[Series III: Contracts and Agreements, 1872],
[Series IV: Reports, 1847-1854],
[Series V: Letters, 1873-1934],
[Series VI: Documents Relating to 519 Madison Avenue, 1893-1899],
[Series VII: Receipts and Bills, 1854-1871],
[Series VIII: Maps],
[Series IX: Miscellaneous, 1812-1872],
[All]

Series IV: Reports, 1847-1854

This series contains seven documents detailing the operations and initiatives of the Standing Committee and Vice President of Green-Wood.

Box 3 (cont.)

Folder 8: Report of the Vice President, December 4, 1843
Folder 9: Report of the Standing Committee, December 1, 1845
Folder 10: Report of the Standing Committee, March 9, 1847
Folder 11: Report of the Standing Committee, March 9, 1847
Folder 12: Report of the Standing Committee, December 1, 1847
Folder 13: Report of the Standing Committee, March 20, 1854: Regarding the erection of the Chapel and enclosure of the grounds
Folder 14: Report of the Standing Committee, February 5, 1870 and March 9, 1840