Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum
| Vanderbilt Family Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 Mausoleum of the Vanderbilt family | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°35′02″N 74°07′08″W / 40.584°N 74.119°W |
| Size | 22 acres (8.9 ha)[1] |
| Find a Grave | Vanderbilt Family Cemetery |
The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum is a private family 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]
Location
The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum is on the eastern slope of Todt Hill,[2] 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).[2]
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 man in America when he died in December 1885.[1]
Mausoleum
The Vanderbilt mausoleum, designed by Richard Morris Hunt and constructed in 1885–1886,[2] is part of the family's private section within the cemetery. The mausoleum is a replica of a Romanesque church in Arles, France. The landscaped grounds around the mausoleum were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Vanderbilt section is not open to the public. The mausoleum was made a New York City designated landmark in 2016.[1]
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. The Vanderbilt Mausoleum was constructed by Vanderbilt family members at the height of their wealth, power, and prominence, when they were commissioning some of America's finest and most enduring works of architecture.
"The Vanderbilt Mausoleum is an extraordinary monument to America's Gilded Age," said New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Srinivasan. "It was built by the country's wealthiest family of the time, and by two of America's greatest designers—Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted. The Commission is proud to grant this outstanding structure landmark protection."[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.[3]
Notable burials
Notable burials in the Vanderbilt family's private section within the cemetery include:[1]
- Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877), railroad and shipping tycoon.
- William Henry Vanderbilt (1821–1885), son of Cornelius.
- Cornelius van Derbilt (1764–1832), father of Cornelius.
- Phebe van Derbilt (née Hand) (1767–1854), mother of Cornelius.
- Sophia Johnson Vanderbilt (1795–1868), first wife of Cornelius.
- Frank Armstrong Crawford Vanderbilt (1839–1885), second wife of Cornelius.
- George Washington Vanderbilt (1832–1836).
- George Washington Vanderbilt (1839–1863).
- George Washington Vanderbilt II (1862–1914), son of William.
- Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt (1821–1896), wife of William.
- Frances Lavinia Vanderbilt (1829–1868).
- Gloria Vanderbilt (1924–2019), daughter of Reginald, wife of Wyatt Emory Cooper.
- Wyatt Emory Cooper (1927–1978), American author, screenwriter, actor, and fourth husband of Gloria Vanderbilt.
- Carter Vanderbilt Cooper (1965–1988), son of Gloria Vanderbilt and Wyatt Cooper, older brother of Anderson Cooper.
- Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (1912–1999), society scion and racetrack/racehorse owner.
- Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843–1899), son of William.
- Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt (1880–1925), millionaire, equestrian, gambler, son of Cornelius II.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Caratzas, Michael (April 12, 2016). "Vanderbilt Mausoleum, Staten Island" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Commission Designates Eight Backlog Sites as Official City Landmarks" (Press release). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. April 12, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Cemetery Association, Inc". OpenCorporates. Retrieved May 27, 2022.