The Cemetery of the Evergreens, also called The Evergreens Cemetery, is a non-denominational

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries, which tended to be churchyards. Rural cemeter ...

along the

Cemetery Belt The Rural Cemetery Act was a law passed by the New York Legislature on April 27, 1847, that authorized commercial burial grounds in rural New York state. The law led to burial of human remains becoming a commercial business for the first time, re ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and

Queens, New York City Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

. It was incorporated in 1849, not long after the passage of New York's

Rural Cemetery Act The Rural Cemetery Act was a law passed by the New York Legislature on April 27, 1847, that authorized commercial burial grounds in rural New York state. The law led to burial of human remains becoming a commercial business for the first time, re ...

spurred development of cemeteries outside

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. For a time, it was the busiest cemetery in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

; in 1929 there were 4,673 interments. Today, the Evergreens is the final resting place of more than 526,000 people. ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying 26 photographs''
/ref> The cemetery borders Brooklyn and Queens and covers of rolling hills and gently sloping meadows. It features several thousand trees and flowering shrubs in a park-like setting.

Cypress Hills Cemetery Cypress Hills Cemetery is a non-sectarian/non-denominational cemetery corporation organized in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, the first of its type in the city. The cemetery is run as a non-profit organization and is lo ...

lies to its northeast.

History

The Evergreens was built on the principle of the

. Two of the era's most noted landscape architects,

Andrew Jackson Downing Andrew Jackson Downing (October 31, 1815 – July 28, 1852) was an American landscape designer, horticulturist, writer, prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of ''The Horticulturist'' magazine (1846–1852). ...

and

Alexander Jackson Davis Alexander Jackson Davis (July 24, 1803 – January 14, 1892) was an American architect known particularly for his association with the Gothic Revival style. Education Davis was born in New York City and studied at the American Academ ...

, were instrumental in the layout of the cemetery grounds. The Evergreens has a monument to six victims of the

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, a borough of New York City, on Saturday, March 25, 1911, was the deadliest List of industrial disasters, industrial disaster in the history of the city, an ...

of March 25, 1911 who were unidentified for nearly a century. In 2011, Michael Hirsch, a historian, completed four years of research that identified these victims by name (see ). There are also seventeen British Commonwealth service personnel buried in the cemetery: thirteen from World War I and four from World War II. Breakdown obtained from casualty record. The cemetery was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on November 15, 2007. In 2025, cemetery officials announced plans to spend $20 million on a stargazing observatory, since

amateur astronomers An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist. History ...

frequently met there.

Notable burials

Individual graves

John Bunny John Bunny (September 21, 1863 – April 26, 1915) was an American actor. Bunny began his career as a stage actor, but transitioned to a film career after joining Vitagraph Studios around 1910. At Vitagraph, Bunny made over 150 short films – m ...

(1863–1915), actor * George C. Bennett (1824–1885), newspaper publisher and New York State assemblyman * Albert Levi Burt (1843–1913), eponymous founder of the publisher

A. L. Burt A. L. Burt (incorporated in 1902 as A. L. Burt Company) was a US book publishing house from 1883 until 1937. It was founded by Albert Levi Burt, a 40-year-old from Massachusetts who had come to recognize the demand for inexpensive reference works ...

Anthony Comstock Anthony Comstock (; March7, 1844 – September21, 1915) was an American anti-vice activist, United States Postal Inspector, and secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice (NYSSV), who was dedicated to upholding Christian mo ...

(1844–1915), censor (see

Comstock Law The Comstock Act of 1873 is a series of current provisions in federal law that generally criminalize the involvement of the United States Postal Service, its officers, or a common carrier in conveying obscene matter, crime-inciting matter, or c ...

) * William C. Cooper (1853–1918), silent-film actor *

Bill Dahlen William Frederick Dahlen (January 5, 1870 – December 5, 1950), nicknamed "Bad Bill", was an American shortstop and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball who played for four National League (baseball), National League teams from ...

(1870–1950),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player, one of the outstanding early 20th century players. Lies in an unmarked grave * James E. Davis (1962–2003), New York City councilman (he was originally interred in

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope, Brooklyn, South Slope/Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, Win ...

, but after it was realized that his

assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

was also interred there, he was moved to the Cemetery of the Evergreens) *

Thomas Dilward Thomas Dilward (c. 1817 – July 9, 1887) was an entertainer who appeared in blackface minstrel shows from 1853 until the early 1880s under the name Japanese Tommy. He was also sometimes billed as "The African 'Tom Thumb'" and the "African Dwarf ...

(1817–1887), Minstrel performer credited with having invented the word "hunky-dory" *

George Henry Ellis George Henry Ellis (26 October 1875 – 3 July 1898) was a sailor in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War. He was the only US sailor killed in action during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. Early life and career Ellis was bor ...

(1875–1898), A chief yeoman on the USS ''Brooklyn'' *

Alice Fleming Alice Fleming (August 9, 1882 – December 6, 1952) was am American character actress in many films who also enjoyed considerable success on Broadway. She is best remembered as the Duchess, Wild Bill Elliott's aunt in the Republic Pictures' Red ...

(1882–1952), actress, stage and screen *

Effie Germon Mary Euphemia "Effie" Germon (June 13, 1845 – March 6, 1914) was an American stage actress of the late 19th century from Augusta, Georgia, a descendant of the Germons of Baltimore who were an old theatrical family. She excelled as a soubrette. ...

(1845–1914), Stage actress descended from the Germons of Baltimore, an old theatrical family * John D. Germon (1840–1901), Stage actor descended from the Germons of Baltimore, an old theatrical family; brother of Effie Germon *

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death. Early in her career, she was a major figure in the Harlem Ren ...

(1901–1993), singer, actress, dancer, nightclub chanteuse * George Hall (1849–1923),

player, banned from baseball for life *

Yusef Hawkins Yusef Kirriem Hawkins (also spelled as Yusuf Hawkins, March 19, 1973 – August 23, 1989) was a 16-year-old black teenager from the neighborhood of East New York, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, who was shot to death on August 23 ...

(1973–1989), murder victim *

Martin Johnson Heade Martin Johnson Heade (August 11, 1819 – September 4, 1904) was an American Painting, painter known for his salt marsh Landscape art, landscapes, seascapes, and depictions of hummingbirds, often depicted with orchids, as well as lotus blossoms ...

(1819–1904), artist *

Lucille Hegamin Lucille Nelson Hegamin (November 29, 1894 – March 1, 1970) was an American singer and entertainer and an early African-American blues recording artist. Life and career Lucille Nelson was born in Macon, Georgia, the daughter of John and Minnie ...

(1894–1970), singer, female pioneer of the

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

* Nelson H. Henry (1855–1923), member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

Adjutant General of New York The Adjutant General of New York is the highest-ranking military official in the New York National Guard as the state adjutant general. The adjutant general is part of the state government's executive branch, and serves as head of the New Yo ...

* William Hickey (1927–1997), actor *

Martin Hildebrandt Martin Hildebrandt (c. 1825–1890) was an early American tattoo artist, nicknamed "Old Martin". Military service Hildebrandt immigrated to the United States from Germany. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served aboard the USS ''Un ...

(1825–1890), early tattoo artist * Fanny Janauschek (1829–1904), Czech-born stage actress * Ernest A. Janson (1878–1930) highly decorated

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

, earned two

Medals of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of va ...

for his heroic actions in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Joseph Forsyth Johnson Joseph Forsyth Johnson (1840 – 17 July 1906) was an English landscape architect and disciple of John Ruskin.

(1840–1906),

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manage ...

and great-grandfather of

Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was an English entertainer and television presenter whose career spanned more than 75 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the Associated Te ...

* George H. Lindsay (1837–1916), congressman ** George W. Lindsay (1865–1938), congressman, his son *

Winsor McCay Zenas Winsor McCay ( – July 26, 1934) was an American cartoonist and animator. He is best known for the comic strip ''Little Nemo'' (1905–1914; 1924–1927) and the animated film ''Gertie the Dinosaur'' (1914). For contractual reasons, he w ...

(1872–1934),

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

and

animated cartoon Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

pioneer * Antonio "Tony" Pastor (1837–1908),

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comic ...

* Charles A. Read (1837–1865),

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient * Julia Smitten Reinhardt (1844–1924),

stage actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

and

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

* Sante Righini (1883–1912), died on the ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...

'' *

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20 ...

(1878–1949),

tap dancer Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

* Stephen A. Rudd (1874–1936), congressman *

Assotto Saint Assotto Saint (October 2, 1957 - June 29, 1994) was a Haitian-born United States, American poet, publisher and performance artist, who was a key figure in LGBT and African-American art and literary culture of the 1980s and early 1990s.Luca Prono"Sa ...

(1947–1994), poet, publisher and performance artist * Joseph Thuma Schenck (c. 1891–1930),

, better known as "Joe" Schenck, of the comedy singing team

Van and Schenck Van and Schenck were popular American entertainers in the 1910s and 1920s: Gus Van (born August Von Glahn, August 12, 1886 – March 12, 1968), baritone, and Joe Schenck (pronounced "skenk"; born Joseph Thuma Schenck, (June 2, 1891– June ...

Gardiner Spring Gardiner Spring (February 24, 1785 – August 18, 1873) was an American minister and author. He served as pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church (New York City), Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City for 63 years. Life Spring was born on Feb ...

(1785–1873), American minister and author *

William Steinitz William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was a Bohemian-Austrian, and later American, chess player. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and ch ...

(1836–1900), world

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

champion *

Bob Thiele Robert "Bob" Thiele (July 27, 1922 – January 30, 1996) was an American record producer who worked on numerous classic jazz albums and record labels. Early life and career Bob Thiele was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, United Sta ...

(1922–1996), record producer *

Amy Vanderbilt Amy Osborne Vanderbilt (July 22, 1908 – December 27, 1974) was an American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best-selling book ''Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette''. The book, later retitled ''Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquet ...

(1908–1974), journalist,

etiquette Etiquette ( /ˈɛtikɛt, -kɪt/) can be defined as a set of norms of personal behavior in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and ...

authority * Oscar Walker (1854–1889),

player *

John William Warde John William Warde was a 26-year-old American bank clerk from Southampton, New York, who committed suicide on July 26, 1938. He leaped from a window ledge of the 17th floor of the Gotham Hotel at 5th Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan. The son o ...

(c. 1912–1938), his widely publicized suicide inspired the movie

Fourteen Hours ''Fourteen Hours'' is a 1951 American drama directed by Henry Hathaway that tells the story of a New York City police officer trying to stop a despondent man from jumping to his death from the 15th floor of a hotel. The film stars Richard Baseh ...

. *

Horace Weston Horace Weston (c. 1825 – May 22, 1890) was an American musician, regarded as one of the finest banjo players of all time. Biography A free-born African American, he was born in Derby, Connecticut, though there is uncertainty over his year o ...

(1825–1890), banjo player * Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins (1849–1908), musician *

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

(1909–1959), jazz musician

Group monument

Triangle Shirtwaist fire The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, a borough of New York City, on Saturday, March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in U.S ...

– the bodies of six victims of the 1911 fire to be identified were buried under a monument of a kneeling woman. They could not be identified after the inferno because they were burned beyond recognition, and had been buried without names. A century after the tragedy, in 2011, they were identified by historian Michael Hirsch as Maria Giuseppa Lauletti, Max Florin, Concetta Prestifilippo, Josephine Cammarata, Dora Evans, and Fannie Rosen.

References

External links

The Evergreens Cemetery official home page
* {{National Register of Historic Places listings in Brooklyn Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City 1849 establishments in New York (state) Buildings and structures completed in 1849 Cemeteries in Brooklyn Cemeteries in Queens, New York Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire Bushwick, Brooklyn Entertainment Community Fund National Register of Historic Places in Brooklyn Rural cemeteries Cemeteries established in the 1840s