Mount Olivet Cemetery is located in the
Maspeth
Maspeth is a residential and commercial community in the borough of Queens in New York City. It was founded in the early 17th century by Dutch and English settlers. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside to the north; Sunnyside t ...
neighborhood of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Named for
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
's
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
, it was incorporated in 1850 under the
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 ...
of 1847. Originally established as an
Episcopal cemetery, that restriction was lifted in 1851.
The land that comprises the cemetery was acquired from George Fash and the estate of James Waterbury. It was later purchased in 1878, which brought it to today's total of 71 acres. It was a popular weekend destination in the 19th century and is known for its views of
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
On the cemetery grounds is the Robert J. Marks Post #560
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...
Lot, on which is located a
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
memorial dedicated "to the Defenders of the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
". 25 Civil War veterans and seventeen wives are buried in the lot. In addition to one of the founders, former U.S. Congressman
James Maurice
James Maurice (November 7, 1814 – August 4, 1884) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a United States Representative from New York from 1853 to 1855.
Life
Born in New York City, he attended Broad Street Academy and b ...
, the cemetery is also home to
Georges V. Matchabelli
Prince Georges Vasili Matchabelli ( ka, გიორგი მაჩაბელი) (July 23, 1885 – March 31, 1935) was a Georgia (country), Georgian perfumer. A nobleman and diplomat, he emigrated to the United States after the 1921 Red Army ...
,
Helena Rubinstein
Helena Rubinstein (born Chaja Rubinstein; December 25, 1870 – April 1, 1965) was a Polish and American businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist. A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporate ...
, and
Legs Diamond
Jack "Legs" Diamond (possibly born John Thomas Diamond, though disputed; July 10, 1897 – December 18, 1931), also known as Gentleman Jack, was an Irish American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootle ...
.
Civil_War_graves_at_Mt_Olivert_Cemetery_in_Maspeth_Queens,_NYC.jpg, View of Civil War graves at Mt Olivet Cemetery guarded by a statue of a union soldier
References
External links
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*
*
{{coord, 40, 43, 14, N, 73, 53, 46, W, type:landmark_region:US-NY_source:GNIS, display=title
Cemeteries in Queens, New York
Maspeth, Queens
Rural cemeteries
Anglican cemeteries in the United States