Oakland Cemetery is located at 2 Saw Mill River Road in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

, next to St. John's Cemetery. It was incorporated in 1875 and named Oakland Cemetery. In time graves from the Civil War filled the cemetery, as did those of other settlers of Yonkers who died. The cemetery is divided into two halves with a hill separating the western lower half from the eastern upper half. The eastern half borders on the

Saw Mill River Parkway The Saw Mill River Parkway (also known as the Saw Mill Parkway or the Saw Mill) is a north–south parkway that extends for through Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins at the border between Westchester County and the Bro ...

, while the western half borders on Saw Mill River Road, where all of the entrances are located. There are two entrance gates that are large enough for a vehicle to enter through and one other smaller entrance gate for pedestrian visitors. Within the confines of the cemetery trespassers have vandalized many of the graves leaving constant chores for the caretaker, who lives on the property, as noted on the Yonkers Ghost Investigators website under the section for haunted locations listed in the history of Oakland Cemetery. Oakland Cemetery was established around 1783 to bury Revolutionary War soldiers, originally it was called St. John's Burial Grounds. The first burial in Oakland Cemetery was recorded on September 2, 1867. The name was changed to Oakland Cemetery in 1875. There are rumors of its being haunted by three ghostly females in white who are said to chase people out of the cemetery, on the hill separating the two halves at the cemetery's center.

The Glebe

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

-born merchant and trader

Frederick Philipse Frederick Philipse (born Frederick Flypsen;Appleton, W.S. ''The Heraldic Journal, Recording the Amorial Bearings and Genealogies of American Families'', Wiggen & Lunt, Boston, 1867 1626 in Bolsward, Netherlands – December 23, 1702), first Lord ...

, the first Lord of

Philipsburg Manor Philipsburg Manor (sometimes referred to as Philipse Manor) was a manor located north of New York City in Westchester County in the Province of New York. Netherlands-born Frederick Philipse I and two partners made the initial purchase of land ...

bequeathed to his children “The Glebe” – a portion of land, for the use by ministers of the Church of England that were inducted into Saint John’s Church. The family of

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

sympathizers fled to England during the revolutionary war and their property was taken by

attainder In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditar ...

. Subsequently in 1866 that portion of yonkers was placed under debt by lawyer Leonard W. Jerome, who over the years parceled several farms in the area. he later redeemed the land not used by the cemetery and rectory and the Yonkers Cemetery Association took title. St. Johns Cemetery is accessible by entering thru Oakland Cemetery.

Notable interments

* Thomas Ewing Jr. (1829–1896), Union Army General * William L. Heermance (1837–1903) a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the

Medal 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 valor. ...

. * Benjamin Franklin Isherwood (1822–1915), Union Civil War admiral *

Joe Lapchick Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick (April 12, 1900 – August 10, 1970) was an American professional basketball player, mostly known for playing with the Original Celtics in the 1920s and 1930s. He is commonly regarded as the best center of his era, overs ...

(1900–1970),

Saint John's University St John's University may refer to: *St. John's University (New York City) ** St. John's University School of Law **St. John's University (Italy) - Overseas Campus * College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, St. Joseph, Minnesota and C ...

and

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

basketball coach * Dr.

Charles Leale Charles Augustus Leale (March 26, 1842 – June 13, 1932) was a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War and the first doctor to arrive at the presidential box at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 after John Wilkes Booth fatally sho ...

(1842–1932), a 23-year-old army surgeon who attended to Lincoln when he was shot at Ford's Theatre *

Elisha Otis Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 – April 8, 1861) was an American industrialist, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Early years Otis was b ...

(1811–1861), industrialist, inventor, and founder of

Otis Elevator Company Otis Worldwide Corporation ( branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. Based in Farmington, Connec ...

* Hugh Francis Redmond – American CIA agent and veteran * Earl Simmons ( DMX) (1970–2021) rapper and actor. * Nicholas Timasheff (1886–1970), sociologist, professor of jurisprudence and writer * William W. Woodworth (1807–1873), US Congressman

References

External links

* * * {{coord, 40, 56, 22, N, 73, 52, 49, W, display=title, source:GNIS Geography of Yonkers, New York Cemeteries in Westchester County, New York 1783 establishments in New York (state)