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 ...
neighborhood of
Queens in
New York City. Named for
Jerusalem's
Mount of Olives, it was incorporated in 1850 under the
Rural Cemetery Act of 1847. Originally established as an
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
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.
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 (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...
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 policie ...
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
** ''U ...
". 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,
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 Incorpora ...
, 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 bootleg ...
.
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