The story of Green-Wood begins with the growth of New York City in the 1820s and 1830s as a large shipping metropolis. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, New York City grew as a port and shipping center, leading to a 280 percent increase in real estate values and a quadrupling of the city’s population by 1835 (Richman, ed., 2013, page 39). This led to new building construction at a rapid pace, putting strain on the at least twenty-two burial grounds south of City Hall, leading to overcrowded churchyard cemeteries and potters fields (Richman, ed., 2013, pages 39-40). After a yellow fever epidemic had swept the city in the early 1820s, which was believed to be caused by fumes from buried corpses, it was realized that a new location needed to be found for the burial of the city’s dead (Richman, ed., 2013, page 41). In contrast to crowded Manhattan Island, the new City of Brooklyn in the 1830s was still a largely quiet farming settlement still run by the descendants of its original Dutch farmers (Richman, ed., 2013, page 41). However, Brooklyn began to increase in development during the 1830s, driven by the settlement in areas such as Brooklyn Heights of New Englanders who came to New York to take advantage of the city’s new commercial opportunities (Richman, ed., 2013, page 41). It would be a group of Brooklyn’s citizens that would lead the movement to give New York a proper rural country cemetery to bury its dead.
The Green-Wood Cemetery was modeled off other rural cemeteries established in America and Europe. In 1831, Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded outside of Boston as a solution to the problem of urban graveyards (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). This cemetery was modeled off the rural Père-Lachaise Cemetery located outside of Paris, creating a burial place outside the bustle and congestion of the city that was a spacious burial ground that was pastoral in nature and had beautiful views (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). One of Green-Wood’s founders, Henry E. Pierrepont, visited Mount Auburn when it opened in 1832 and then Père-Lachaise when he went to Europe, and was inspired to create a rural cemetery in New York (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). A group of distinguished Brooklyn citizens led by Henry E. Pierrepont, petitioned the New York State Legislature to create a cemetery for New York City, with Mr. Pierrepont envisioning a large rural cemetery that would rival those founded in Philadelphia and Boston a few years prior (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). Due to Mr. Pierrepont’s influence and advocacy, New York State would pass the charter creating the Green-Wood Cemetery Company as a “joint-stock company” to create a cemetery in the City of Brooklyn: setting the amount of stock issued, the tax-exempt status of the cemetery, and how the cemetery was governed (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). The Green-Wood Cemetery was on its way to becoming Brooklyn’s premiere rural cemetery.
The Green-Wood Cemetery was modeled off other rural cemeteries established in America and Europe. In 1831, Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded outside of Boston as a solution to the problem of urban graveyards (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). This cemetery was modeled off the rural Père-Lachaise Cemetery located outside of Paris, creating a burial place outside the bustle and congestion of the city that was a spacious burial ground that was pastoral in nature and had beautiful views (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). One of Green-Wood’s founders, Henry E. Pierrepont, visited Mount Auburn when it opened in 1832 and then Père-Lachaise when he went to Europe, and was inspired to create a rural cemetery in New York (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). A group of distinguished Brooklyn citizens led by Henry E. Pierrepont, petitioned the New York State Legislature to create a cemetery for New York City, with Mr. Pierrepont envisioning a large rural cemetery that would rival those founded in Philadelphia and Boston a few years prior (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). Due to Mr. Pierrepont’s influence and advocacy, New York State would pass the charter creating the Green-Wood Cemetery Company as a “joint-stock company” to create a cemetery in the City of Brooklyn: setting the amount of stock issued, the tax-exempt status of the cemetery, and how the cemetery was governed (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). The Green-Wood Cemetery was on its way to becoming Brooklyn’s premiere rural cemetery.
Item #1: The Act of Incorporation of the Green-Wood Cemetery, Passed April 18, 1838
This is the original 1838 charter of incorporation for Green-Wood Cemetery, passed by the New York State Government, which authorized the creation of the cemetery. It established the identity of the cemetery as a stockholding corporation in order to create a burial ground in the City of Brooklyn. It also laid out the rights of the new cemetery corporation, for example, the amount of stock it had to sell and its price; the right to buy and hold land amounting to no more than 200 acres; to close off avenues and streets within its boundaries in order to establish the cemeteries borders; and exempting the land within the cemetery’s borders from assessment for the payment of taxes. Furthermore, the management structure of the cemetery was laid out: this Act appointed the Commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation to receive subscriptions: Samuel Ward, John P. Stagg, Charles King, D.B. Douglass, Russell Stebbins, Joseph A. Perry, Henry E. Pierrepont, and Pliny Freeman, and set the limit of subscription they could receive. The rules for the election of the 15 Directors for the cemetery’s Board of Directors are also explained, with these elections held annually and each stockholder having one vote. This document is important because it establishes the identity of Green-Wood Cemetery: as a stockholding corporation. This made the Green-Wood Cemetery Company a “join-stock company” for the single mission of creating in the City of Brooklyn a public cemetery for burials (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). The Act established the quantity of common stock that the Company could issue, gave the Company tax-exempt status, and created a system to govern the Company (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). Among the first commissioners to serve the cemetery when this Act was passed was the notable New York banker Samuel Ward (died November 27, 1839) and the notable New York Merchant John P. Stagg (died October 4, 1839) (Cleaveland, 1866, page 9).
This is the original 1838 charter of incorporation for Green-Wood Cemetery, passed by the New York State Government, which authorized the creation of the cemetery. It established the identity of the cemetery as a stockholding corporation in order to create a burial ground in the City of Brooklyn. It also laid out the rights of the new cemetery corporation, for example, the amount of stock it had to sell and its price; the right to buy and hold land amounting to no more than 200 acres; to close off avenues and streets within its boundaries in order to establish the cemeteries borders; and exempting the land within the cemetery’s borders from assessment for the payment of taxes. Furthermore, the management structure of the cemetery was laid out: this Act appointed the Commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation to receive subscriptions: Samuel Ward, John P. Stagg, Charles King, D.B. Douglass, Russell Stebbins, Joseph A. Perry, Henry E. Pierrepont, and Pliny Freeman, and set the limit of subscription they could receive. The rules for the election of the 15 Directors for the cemetery’s Board of Directors are also explained, with these elections held annually and each stockholder having one vote. This document is important because it establishes the identity of Green-Wood Cemetery: as a stockholding corporation. This made the Green-Wood Cemetery Company a “join-stock company” for the single mission of creating in the City of Brooklyn a public cemetery for burials (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). The Act established the quantity of common stock that the Company could issue, gave the Company tax-exempt status, and created a system to govern the Company (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). Among the first commissioners to serve the cemetery when this Act was passed was the notable New York banker Samuel Ward (died November 27, 1839) and the notable New York Merchant John P. Stagg (died October 4, 1839) (Cleaveland, 1866, page 9).
Printed transcription of Item #1 (Cleaveland, 1866, pages 169-170):
Item #201: Notebook with the Act of Incorporation of the Green-Wood Cemetery and the Lot Subscription Sales written in it (1838-1839)
Shown here is the first page in the Green-Wood Cemetery Lot Subscriptions Sales Notebook. This notebook, other than listing the Act of Incorporation of the Green-Wood Cemetery and some notes, records details about the original proprietors of the cemetery. This notebook is significant because it is a log of who were the first people to subscribe to own land in the Green-Wood Cemetery after it was first incorporated. This is documentation of the first business recorded by the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation. This “Subscription Booklet of Lot Owners, 1838-1839,” lists the first owners of “Burying Plats” along with the amount of lots purchased at the Green-Wood Cemetery, with many of New York’s most notable men listed (Richman, ed., 2013, page 22). This notebook reveals that there was an avid interest in owning burial lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery even when it first opened for business.
Shown here is the first page in the Green-Wood Cemetery Lot Subscriptions Sales Notebook. This notebook, other than listing the Act of Incorporation of the Green-Wood Cemetery and some notes, records details about the original proprietors of the cemetery. This notebook is significant because it is a log of who were the first people to subscribe to own land in the Green-Wood Cemetery after it was first incorporated. This is documentation of the first business recorded by the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation. This “Subscription Booklet of Lot Owners, 1838-1839,” lists the first owners of “Burying Plats” along with the amount of lots purchased at the Green-Wood Cemetery, with many of New York’s most notable men listed (Richman, ed., 2013, page 22). This notebook reveals that there was an avid interest in owning burial lots in the Green-Wood Cemetery even when it first opened for business.
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).
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).