Greenwood Union Cemetery, Rye
Encyclopedia
The Greenwood Union Cemetery is located in Rye
and Harrison
in Westchester County
, New York
.
on this site was established in 1837 and it was known as "Union Cemetery of Rye". James Parker and David Brooks of Rye
donated 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land to Christ Church, Rye, with plots should be reserved for the ministers of the three churches of Rye and their families. Two strips on the eastern and western sides of the grounds were to be used as a public cemetery.
In January 1855, the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rye bought an additional 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) contiguous to the cemetery, and, between 1864 and 1868, they added more than 6 acres (24,281.2 m²). The total land was now 14.25 acres (57,667.8 m²). A small corner of the cemetery, located near the entrance ramp for I-95
, contains graves of Civil War
soldiers of African descent.
Methodist Episcopal Church operated the cemetery from 1855 until 1902 when it transferred management to a Rural Cemetery Corporation organized under the Rural Cemetery Act
of 1847. This arrangement continued from 1902 to 1984, under the leadership of successive generations of the Cowan family, but in 1984 the responsibility of management was turned over to a nonprofit organization
with a volunteer elected board of trustees whose members are lot owners and local community leaders.
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
and Harrison
Harrison, New York
Harrison is a village and town in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately northeast of Manhattan. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census.-Establishment:...
in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
History
The first cemeteryCemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
on this site was established in 1837 and it was known as "Union Cemetery of Rye". James Parker and David Brooks of Rye
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
donated 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land to Christ Church, Rye, with plots should be reserved for the ministers of the three churches of Rye and their families. Two strips on the eastern and western sides of the grounds were to be used as a public cemetery.
In January 1855, the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rye bought an additional 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) contiguous to the cemetery, and, between 1864 and 1868, they added more than 6 acres (24,281.2 m²). The total land was now 14.25 acres (57,667.8 m²). A small corner of the cemetery, located near the entrance ramp for I-95
Interstate 95 in New York
Interstate 95 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada – United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to the Connecticut state line at Port Chester...
, contains graves of Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
soldiers of African descent.
Methodist Episcopal Church operated the cemetery from 1855 until 1902 when it transferred management to a Rural Cemetery Corporation organized under the Rural Cemetery Act
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, replacing the traditional practice of burying the dead...
of 1847. This arrangement continued from 1902 to 1984, under the leadership of successive generations of the Cowan family, but in 1984 the responsibility of management was turned over to a nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
with a volunteer elected board of trustees whose members are lot owners and local community leaders.
Notable burials
- Eddie EaganEddie EaganEdward "Eddie" Patrick Francis Eagan was an American sportsman. He is one of only two persons to have won a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.-Olympics:...
(1897-1967) one of only two people to win a gold medal in the Winter and Summer Olympic Games - Marquis JamesMarquis JamesMarquis James was an American journalist and author, twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his works The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston and The Life of Andrew Jackson....
(1891–1955) US author - William Russell Pease (1831–1895) US Civil War General
- John McGillicuddyJohn McGillicuddyJohn Francis McGillicuddy was an American banking industry executive who oversaw the merger between Manufacturers Hanover Trust and Chemical Bank in the early 1990s....
(1930-2009) American banking executive - Clarine SeymourClarine Seymour-Early life:Seymour was born to Albert V. and Florence Seymour in Brooklyn, New York where her father ran a prosperous ribbon manufacturing business.. Seymour's only sibling was her brother, Harry, who was born in 1916...
(1898–1920) US actress - Jared Valentine Peck (1816–1891) US Representative
- Jonathan Mayhew WainwrightJ. Mayhew WainwrightJonathan Mayhew Wainwright was a U.S. Representative from New York.-Biography:Born in New York City, Wainwright was graduated from Columbia College and Columbia School of Political Science in 1884, and from Columbia Law School in 1886. He was admitted to the bar the same year and practiced in New...
(1864–1945) US Congressman