Prospect Park Carousel Brooklyn

Welcome, listeners, to *Brooklyn Echos  Graveyard Tales*, the podcast where we wander through the world’s most intriguing cemeteries, uncovering the stories of the departed and the places that hold them. I’m your host, Robert Hneriksen , and today we’re stepping into the rolling hills of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. This isn’t just a burial ground; it’s a 478-acre masterpiece of landscape design, history, and hidden tales. If spoken at a leisurely pace, this episode should clock in around ten minutes – perfect for your commute or a quiet evening stroll. So, grab your headphones, imagine the rustling leaves and distant city hum, and let’s begin our journey through Green-Wood.

 Founded in 1838, Green-Wood emerged during a time when New York City’s churchyards were overflowing, and urban life was choking out green spaces. Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, a visionary Brooklyn developer, spearheaded its creation as one of America’s first rural cemeteries – a concept inspired by places like Mount Auburn in Massachusetts. The idea was radical: turn burial sites into serene parks where the living could escape the city’s grit.

Landscape architect David Bates Douglass crafted the grounds, preserving natural glacial features from the last Ice Age, like the Harbor Hill Moraine. Battle Hill, the highest point in Brooklyn at 216 feet, sits here – site of a fierce clash during the 1776 Battle of Long Island, where American forces clashed with the British. Over the decades, Green-Wood expanded through acquisitions in 1847, 1852, and beyond, reaching its current size by 1884. It became a nonprofit in 1839, and its design eschewed rigid grids for curving paths, ponds like Sylvan Water and Halcyon Lake, and over 7,000 trees, creating an arboretum-like oasis.

Architecturally, Green-Wood is a feast for the eyes. The Gothic Revival main gates at 25th Street, designed by Richard M. Upjohn, feature a 106-foot clock tower adorned with biblical sculptures – a grand entrance that whispers of eternity.

 The chapel, built in 1911-1913 by Warren & Wetmore (famous for Grand Central Terminal), mimics Oxford’s Tom Tower with its octagonal spire and Beaux-Arts flair. Monuments dot the landscape in styles from Classical to Egyptian Revival, crafted by luminaries like Minard Lafever. Even the fences and shelters – though many have faded – once blended Gothic, Italian villa, and Swiss chalet aesthetics. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, it’s also on the National Register of Historic Places, with elements like the gates and chapel as New York City landmarks.

But Green-Wood’s true allure lies in its residents – over 580,000 souls, from titans of industry to artists and outlaws. Let’s stroll through some of the most famous graves, each a chapter in American history.

Start with Jean-Michel Basquiat, the street-art prodigy who rose from graffiti tags to neo-expressionist masterpieces, grappling with race and fame before his untimely death at 28 in 1988. His simple marker belies a legacy that still shakes the art world.

Nearby rests Leonard Bernstein, the maestro behind *West Side Story* and symphonies that bridged classical and pop. As conductor of the New York Philharmonic, he electrified audiences worldwide until 1990. Imagine his grave echoing with unspoken melodies.

Then there’s William “Boss” Tweed, the corrupt kingpin of Tammany Hall who embezzled millions from New York in the 1870s. Exposed by cartoonist Thomas Nast, he died in prison in 1878 – a cautionary tale etched in stone.

Horace Greeley, founder of the *New York Tribune* and abolitionist firebrand, lies here too. His 1872 presidential run against Ulysses S. Grant ended in defeat, and he passed soon after in 1872, but his rallying cry – “Go West, young man” – endures.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, the stained-glass genius whose lamps and windows defined Art Nouveau, was interred in 1933. His family’s plot reflects the opulence he created.

Inventors abound: Samuel F.B. Morse, telegraph pioneer and Morse code creator (1872); Elias Howe, sewing machine innovator (1867); and Peter Cooper, who built America’s first steam locomotive and founded Cooper Union (1883).

DeWitt Clinton, the “Father of the Erie Canal” and 1812 presidential hopeful, has a statue here since 1853 – a nod to his transformative infrastructure vision (1828).

Baseball fans flock to Charles Ebbets (1925), Dodgers owner and Ebbets Field namesake; Henry Chadwick, “Father of Baseball” for the box score (1908); and legends like Jim Creighton, early star (1862).

Not all are heroes: Albert Anastasia, “Lord High Executioner” of Murder, Inc. (1957); “Crazy Joe” Gallo, mobster (1972); and William “Bill the Butcher” Poole, gang leader immortalized in *Gangs of New York* (1855).

Women shine too: Susan Smith McKinney-Steward, first African-American female doctor in New York (1918); Lola Montez, dancer and royal courtesan (1861); and Emma Stebbins, sculptor of Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain (1882).

Modern additions include rapper Pop Smoke (2020), whose drill anthems defined Brooklyn sound; and soul singer Sharon Jones (2016).

Beyond burials, Green-Wood pulses with life. In the 19th century, it was Brooklyn’s top attraction, drawing half a million visitors annually – more than Niagara Falls! It inspired Central and Prospect Parks and served as the borough’s first public green space.

 Today, the Green-Wood Historic Fund preserves it through tours, concerts, art exhibits, and death-education workshops. They’ve introduced green burials and stormwater systems post-hurricanes like Sandy and Ida. A quirky resident? A colony of monk parakeets nesting in the gates since the 1960s – escaped pets turned wild Brooklyn icons.

Monuments commemorate tragedies: the Civil War Soldiers’ Lot with its 35-foot obelisk; a memorial for the 1876 Brooklyn Theater Fire victims; and tributes to 9/11 and aviation disasters.

As immigration shaped Brooklyn – once America’s fourth-largest city – Green-Wood reflects that diversity, with graves of Roosevelts, Jeromes, and countless immigrants from every corner.

**Host:** Green-Wood isn’t frozen in time; it’s a living archive, hosting events like “Sunday in the Cemetery” discussions on grief. With 280,000 visitors yearly, it’s a reminder that death and life intertwine. If you’re in Brooklyn, take a trolley tour or wander its paths – you might just hear the echoes of history whispering back.

Thanks for joining me on *Brooklyn Echos  Graveyard Tales*. If this sparked your curiosity, drop a review or suggest our next eerie destination. Until next time, remember: every stone tells a story.

If you like this podcast, Check out our new Brooklyn Echo’s Audio podcast at The Brooklyn Hall of Fame were we have been recording episodes to stream  at your favorite streaming services like Apple or Spotify.