The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum is a private family burial site within the

Moravian Cemetery The Moravian Cemetery is a cemetery in the New Dorp neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City. Location Located at 2205 Richmond Road, the Moravian Cemetery is the largest and oldest active cemetery on Staten Island, having opened in 1740. ...

in the

New Dorp New Dorp is a neighborhood on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City, United States. New Dorp is bounded by Mill Road on the southeast, Tysens Lane on the southwest, Amboy and Richmond Roads on the northwest, and Bancroft Avenue on the n ...

neighborhood of

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

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 ...

. It was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...

in the late 19th century, when the

Vanderbilt family The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...

was the wealthiest in America.

Location

The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum is on the eastern slope of

Todt Hill Todt Hill ( ) is a hill formed of serpentine rock on Staten Island, New York. It is the highest natural point in the five boroughs of New York City and the highest elevation on the entire Atlantic coastal plain from Florida to Cape Cod. The summi ...

, inside the Moravian Cemetery located at 2205 Richmond Road. The cemetery opened in 1740 and is the largest and oldest active cemetery on Staten Island. Todt Hill is the highest natural point on the Eastern Seaboard between Cape Cod and Florida, rising to .

History

In 1865,

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

gave the Moravian Church . Three years later, he donated an additional , which is the majority of the Moravian Cemetery and the site of the private Vanderbilt plot. Later, his son

William Henry Vanderbilt William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbi ...

gave a further and constructed the residence for the cemetery superintendent. William commissioned the family mausoleum, and was the richest man in America when he died in December 1885.

Mausoleum

The Vanderbilt mausoleum, designed by Richard Morris Hunt and constructed in 1885–1886, is part of the family's private section within the cemetery. The mausoleum is a replica of a Romanesque church in

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The landscaped grounds around the mausoleum were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Vanderbilt section is not open to the public. Interment within the mausoleum was reserved to those with the Vanderbilt name, including sons, their wives, and unmarried daughters. It houses the remains of all four of William and Maria's sons and three of their wives. The mausoleum was made a

New York City designated landmark The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

in 2016. The

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

's chair said at the time: "The Vanderbilt Mausoleum is an extraordinary monument to America's Gilded Age". In June 2021, the mausoleum was nominated for inclusion on the

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

and

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. It was added to the NRHP on July 30, 2021.

Vanderbilt Cemetery Association

The nonprofit Vanderbilt Cemetery Association was created in 2010 by members of the Vanderbilt family to help preserve and protect the property.

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III (born December 20, 1949) is a retired public relations executive. Vanderbilt was heavily involved with bringing the Grammys back to New York and the tall ships to New York for the 500th anniversary of Columbus discover ...

is chairman.

Notable burials

Notable burials in the Vanderbilt family's private section within the cemetery include: *

(1794–1877), railroad and shipping tycoon. *

(1821–1885), son of Cornelius. * Cornelius van Derbilt (1764–1832), father of Cornelius. * Phebe van Derbilt (née Hand) (1767–1854), mother of Cornelius. * Sophia Johnson Vanderbilt (1795–1868), first wife of Cornelius. *

Frank Armstrong Crawford Vanderbilt Frank Armstrong Crawford Vanderbilt (January 18, 1839 – May 4, 1885) was an American socialite and philanthropist. During the American Civil War, she was a strong supporter of the Confederate States of America. After the war, she lived in New Yo ...

(1839–1885), second wife of Cornelius. * George Washington Vanderbilt (1832–1836). * George Washington Vanderbilt (1839–1863). *

George Washington Vanderbilt II George Washington Vanderbilt II (November 14, 1862 – March 6, 1914) was an art collector and member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, which amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He commission ...

(1862–1914), son of William. * Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt (1821–1896), wife of William. * Frances Lavinia Vanderbilt (1829–1868). * Gloria Vanderbilt (1924–2019), daughter of Reginald, wife of Wyatt Emory Cooper. *

Wyatt Emory Cooper Wyatt Emory Cooper (September 1, 1927 – January 5, 1978) was an American author, screenwriter, and actor. He was the fourth husband of Vanderbilt family heiress and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt and the father of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

(1927–1978), American author, screenwriter, actor, and fourth husband of Gloria Vanderbilt. * Carter Vanderbilt Cooper (1965–1988), son of Gloria Vanderbilt and Wyatt Cooper, older brother of Anderson Cooper. * Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (1912–1999), society scion and racetrack/racehorse owner. *

Cornelius Vanderbilt II Cornelius "Corneil" Vanderbilt II (November 27, 1843 – September 12, 1899) was an American socialite and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. Noted forebears He was the favorite grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbil ...

(1843–1899), son of William. *

Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt (January 14, 1880 – September 4, 1925) was a member of the Vanderbilt family. He was the father of Gloria Vanderbilt and maternal grandfather of Anderson Cooper. An avid equestrian, Vanderbilt was the founder and pr ...

(1880–1925), millionaire, equestrian, gambler, son of Cornelius II.

References