With climate change at the forefront of the national conversation and April 2020 marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, it's high time to take a dive into Brooklyn's environmental history. This City Story explores the impact of industrialization along Brooklyn's waterways, sites of notorious pollution, sustainability challenges, the effects of increased temperatures on our coastlines, and the changing ecology of our urban landscape.

View from Highland Avenue, looking toward New York Harbor, ca. 1870.

Monument to Fannie L. Quintard, outside the mausoleum of Charles Morgan, ca. 1870. (Lot 3922, Sec. 81)

Monument to Willie R. Pierce, ca. 1880. The large marble angel that once adorned this monument has been lost to time and weather, but the base still remains. (Lot 19954, Sec. E/G)

Monument of Maria Bellows, ca. 1865.

Dewey Mausoleum, ca. 1890. The large mausoleum of the Dewey family stands immediately behind the monument to Charlotte Canda (1792-1866), who died suddenly on the night of her seventeenth birthday. The small monument encircled by a cast iron fence in the right foreground of this photograph memorializes Charles Albert Jarett de la Marie, the French nobleman who was Charlotte Canda's fiancé. Overcome with grief, Charles committed suicide a year after Charlotte's tragic death, shooting himself while at the Candas' residence. Because of his suicide, he could not be buried in the Canda's lot because the land had been consecrated by the Catholic Church; instead he is buried in an adjoining lot. (Lots 8612 and 2375, Sec. 106)

Monument of Maria Bellows, ca. 1865. (Lot 379, Sec. 111)

Monument to Irad Hawley (1793-1865), ca. 1865. (Lot 2762, Sec. 102)

Monument of the Cary sisters, ca. 1875. Poets Alice Cary (1820-1871) and Phoebe Cary (1824-1871) were important nineteenth century literary figures, leading the cultural circle known as the “Cary Salon” in their Manhattan home. When Alice succumbed to illness is 1871, her funeral, according to Horace Greeley was attended by more distinguished men and woman, and a larger audience, than any other funeral of which he knew. Phoebe was in good health until her sister’s death; her sorrow thereafter was so intense that, within five months, she passed away, joining her sister at Green-Wood. (Lot 13769, Sec. K)

View south from Ocean Hill, circa 1870.

View of Battle Avenue, ca. 1860, from the main entrance of Green-Wood. This photo may have been taken when the main entrance arches of Green-Wood were still under construction. At this time, the area to the left of Battle Avenue contained worker housing, stables, and storage sheds, which can be seen at the far left in this photograph.

Monument to Reverend John F. Messenger on the Messenger family lot, ca. 1880. (Lot 506, Sec. 93/94)

Monument of William Hunt Norris, ca. 1875. (Lot 1968, Sec. 77)

Mausoleum of Marc Chambettaz, 1904. Of the three angels that adorn the roof of the Chambettaz Mausoleum, only one remains to this day, though the bases upon which the others stood are still visible. (Lot 20844, Sec. 89)

Monument to Thomas M. Smith, ca. 1860. (Lot 10883, Sec. 94)

Monument to Civil War veteran Lieutenant William Moir Smith (1839-1861), ca. 1880. William Moir Smith, a Union officer during the Civil War, fell mortally wounded at the First Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. He was just 22 years old. The monument is a tribute to his military service, adorned with items from the typical uniform of a Union soldier, including a forage cap and infantryman's belt set with a cartridge box, cap box, and bayonet scabbard. Additionally, the laurel leaves on the stone symbolize victory and eternity. (Lot 5007, Sec. 75)

Monument to Ann Rooker, ca. 1900. (Lot 7371, Sec. 55)

Monument to Charlotte Canda (1828-1845), ca. 1865-1890. Once the finest monument in Green-Wood, and the most-visited cemetery monument in America, the monument to Charlotte Canda (1828-1845) memorializes a young girl who died a tragic death in a carriage accident on the night of her seventeenth birthday. The basic design of Charlotte’s monument was sketched by her as a memorial to her recently deceased aunt. After Charlotte’s death, her father adapted to sketch to memorialize his daughter, including elements such as the books, musical and drawing instruments that she was so fond of, and the parrots that were her constant companions. Charlotte’s effigy appears in the niche, with a star above it, symbolizing immortal life. A butterfly with wings extended is emblematic of her liberated spirit. To commemorate Charlotte’s age at death, 17 rose buds, symbolic of a female life cut short, make up the wreath around her head; the monument is 17 feet high and 17 feet deep. The monument, with the exception of the angels (which were carved in Italy), was executed by John Frazee (1790-1852) and Robert Launitz (1806-1870). Long lost from exposure to the elements, Canda’s epitaph once read: “So sinks from sight Eve’s golden star / Lost in the watery depths afar/ Yet still does the fair planet burn / Not hopeless is our Charlotte’s urn / In God’s own morn her orb will rise / Once more – a star of Paradise.” (Lot 1380, Sec. 92/106)

Receiving Tomb, from across Arbor Water, ca. 1880.

Green-Wood Cemetery Gates ca. 1865 One of the most splendid monuments of Brooklyn, this unique entrance to the cemetery combines offices, gates, a clock tower, and a spire in one imposing structure. It was designed by Richard Michell Upjohn, the son of the leading architect of the Gothic tradition in New York. The younger Upjohn also designed the Connecticut State Capitol at Hartford.

View in Green-Wood showing the lot of Peter Cooper (1791-1883), before the installation of his monument, with a view of Ocean Hill, 1891. Cooper was the greatest philanthropist of his time; all others were compared to him. He founded Cooper Union for the free education of those who otherwise could not affort college. (Lot 3932, Sec. 97/101).

View of Ocean Hill from Vine Dell, looking east down Ocean Avenue, ca. 1870.

Monuments to William Henry Wallis and family, ca. 1875. (Lot 1209, Sec. 108/109)

The "Sea Captain's Monument," memorializing John Correja (1826-1910), ca. 1880. The monument of Captain John Correja was carved by sculptor Patrizio Piatti from Carrara marble that Correja brought back from Italy on his ship in the late 1850's. The sextant held in the marble Sea Captain's hands was the same one that Correja used for years to guide his ship across the seas. It disappeard long ago, but early photographs such as this one record how the monument originally appeared. Note the green wash on the marble hands; that is from the bronze of the sextant. (Lot 9457, Sec. 41)

View of Meadow Hill in The Green-Wood Cemetery, ca. 1885.

Monument to Charlotte Canda, ca. 1874.

Monument of the Sprague family, ca. 1880.

The Civil War Soldiers' Monument on Battle Hill, ca. 1875.

Monument of William Anson Lawrence (1805-1844), ca. 1870.

Monument to William Shepard Wetmore, ca. 1875. (Lot 639, Sec. 97)

Mausoleum of Stephen Whitney (1776-1860), ca. 1875. The mausoleum of merchant, cotton speculator, and real estate investor Stephen Whitney occupies a prominent spot atop Ocean Hill in Green-Wood. When Whitney died in 1860, he left an estate estimated at $15 million (close to $400 million today). The Gothic Revival structure has an octagonal plan with a copper roof and gabled entry vestibule. Each of the eight sides features a dormer with a stained glass window. Also known as "Whitney Chapel," it has a desk and bench inside for a priest or devotee. (Lot 9, Sec. 98)

Monument of General Thomas Spencer Dakin (1831-1878), ca. 1880. (Lot 6953, Sec. 54)

The "Pilot's Monument" of harbor pilot Thomas Freeborn(1808-1846), ca. 1865. Thomas Freeborn was navigating the ship John Minturn into New York Harbor amid a raging storm. Despite his best efforts, the ship ran aground and Freeborn and many others perished. Initially interred at the Rutgers Street Burial Ground in New York City, he was reinterred at Green-Wood by his fellow pilots, who erected the "Pilot's Monument" in his honor. The marble monument features imagery associated with harbor pilots. Atop the base is a ship's capstan, with anchor cable coiled around it, and rising above is a mast whose truncated top symbolizes a life cut short. Atop the mast stands a personification of Hope, holding an anchor at her side. An image of the John Minturn, struggling in the waves, appears on the base. The monument was placed on this hill so that it could be seen by pilot’s working in the harbor waters below. (Lot 1221, Sec. 111)

Monument of Charles T. French, ca. 1880. (Lot 5101, Sec. 97)

View of Chestnut Hill in The Green-Wood Cemetery, looking across Hydrangea Path, ca. 1880.

Monument of Frederick Derbyshire (d. 1855), ca. 1875. (Lot 7935, Sec. 118)

View near Meadow Water, a glacial pond once located at The Green-Wood Cemetery, ca. 1875.

View of the New York Harbor from Battle Hill in The Green-Wood Cemetery, looking down from Fern Avenue, ca. 1875.

Monument to American physician, naturalist, and politician Samuel Latham Mitchill (1764-1831), ca. 1860. (Lot 1389, Sec. 77)

Monument to William S. Packer (1800-1850), ca. 1870. (Lot 170, Sec. 104)

Lot of the Spencer family, ca. 1875. (Lot 15471, Sec. K)

Monument of John W. Schmidt (1777-1853), ca. 1875. (Lot 247, Sec. 123)

Horse-drawn hearse in front of the Receiving Tomb, as seen across Arbor Tomb, ca. 1865.

Monument of Aaron Arnold (1795-1876), located along Atlantic Avenue in Green-Wood, ca. 1870. (Lot 1427, Sec. 118)

View from Bay Grove Hill, looking toward Green-Wood's main entrance, ca. 1875. Several of the monuments along Arbor Avenue, running through the center of this photograph, are still standing today, including the urn-topped monument of Clarkson Crolius (1773-1843) visible on the left. The mausoleum in the foreground is gone; a garden is now there.

Abraham S. Scribner Monument, Ocean Hill, ca. 1865.

The Civil War Soldiers' Monument on Battle Hill, ca. 1870. Green-Wood's Civil War Soldiers' Monument honors the 148,000 New York men who fought "in aid of the war for the preservation of the Union and the Constitution." Construction of the monument began just four years after the end of the Civil War and it was dedicated in 1876. The monument features four life-sized statues of soldiers, representing the four branches of the Army: engineers, infantry, artillery, and cavalry. Originally cast in zinc, the sculptures had deteriorated badly over the years and were replaced in 2002 with reproduction bronzes. The earlier image shows the monument before installation of the statues and bronze plaques, and the second image shows them shortly after installation.

Mausoleum of the Steinway family, the famous piano manufacturers, ca. 1875. Piano maker Henry Engelhard Steinway (1797-1871) migrated to New York City from Germany in 1851. By 1860, his company, Steinway & Sons, had already become the leading piano manufacturer in the country. The business stayed in the family for many years and continued to find great success. The Steinway Mausoleum at Green-Wood, built in the 1870s at a cost of $80,000 (equivalent to over $1.5 million today) is the cemetery's largest, with room for between 150 and 200 interments. It was designed by sculptor and funerary architect John Moffitt. (Lot 15388, Sec. 46/47)

Monument of Otto Fabricotti (d. 1869), ca. 1875. This ornate marble monument no longer stands in Green-Wood; a simpler granite gravestone now stands in its place. (Lot 18912, Sec. F)

View northwest from Ocean Hill on a snow covered winter's day, ca. 1860.

Far view of the monument to the Pierrepont family, designed by Richard Upjohn in the Gothic Revival Style, ca. 1860. (Lot 534, Sec. 68)

Monument to Dixon Hall Lewis (1802-1848), circa 1870.

Monuments to William Henry Wallis and family, ca. 1875.

Main Entrance Gates of The Green-Wood Cemetery from Bay Side Avenue, ca. 1870.

Monument to Dixon Hall Lewis (1802-1848), circa 1865. Born in Virginia and educated in Georgia, Dixon Hall Lewis served as a states’ rights United States Senator and Representative from Alabama from 1829 until his death. Lewis was a strong advocate for nullification and secession. The stone obelisk monument to Dixon Hall Lewis at Green-Wood describes him as "A Patriot and a Statesman noted for integrity, candor and truth." Why would a states’ rights politician from the South be interred in Brooklyn? Lewis visited Green-Wood and was so impressed that he decided this was the place for him to be interred. (Lot 9931, Sec. 89)

The Harper Brothers Monument, ca. 1880. The four partners of Harper & Brothers, once the leading publishing house in the world, are interred together at Green-Wood. James Harper (1795-1869), John Harper (1797-1875), Joseph Harper (1801-1870) and Fletcher Harper (1806-1877), each contributed to the success of the business with such notable periodicals as Harper's Weekly and Harper's Bazaar. Though James was originally interred with his wife at the Sands Street Church, their remains were later brought to Green-Wood. The fitting monument to the brothers is four-sided, with each side dedicated to one of the brothers and bearing his bronze portrait. (Lot 947, Sec. 95)

Monument to Henry and Elizabeth Ruggles, ca. 1860. The marble base, now weathered from time, bears an inscription from a hymn by eighteenth-century English minister Isaac Watts: "There are no acts of pardon past, In the cold grave to which we haste. But darkness, death and long despair, Reign in eternal silence there.” (Lot 10467, Sec. 121)

View of Valley Water in The Green-Wood Cemetery, ca. 1870.

View south from Ocean Hill, ca. 1870.

The chapel was constructed in 1911 after designs by Warren and Wetmore, architects of Grand Central Terminal, and is a reduced replica of Christopher Wren’s Thomas Tower at Christ Church College in Oxford, England.

This stereoview shows the monument of the Callicot family in The Green-Wood Cemetery, ca. 1865. (Lot 5636, Sec. 20).

DeWitt Clinton Monument, ca. 1870.

Detail of the interior of the mausoleum of Thomas Clark Durant (1820-1885), ca. 1875. (Lot 10399, Sec. 65)

Monument of the Gassner family, ca. 1860. (Lot 5518, Sec. 45)

The Receiving Tomb, designed by Richard Upjohn, ca. 1875.

Green-Wood, with more than 600 mausoleums and other buildings, offers a spectacular display of nineteenth-century architectural styles. On the streets of New York, tearing down buildings every generation and replacing them with "the latest" has become something of a habit. But at Green-Wood, once a building goes up, it almost always stays up. Want to see what NYC's buildings looked like more than a century ago? You've come to the right place! This tour, a walk of about a half-mile, offers you a stroll through a quiet landscape as well as fascinating information about each of the five intriguing stops along the way. In order to walk it, you will proceed up the incline of Battle Hill to near the highest point in Brooklyn. Your legs will thank you! And if you would like to explore more of Green-Wood, get our app at the App Store. Trees, monuments, great stories, and more!

Mausoleum of Thomas Clark Durant (1820-1885), financier and promoter of the Union Pacific Railroad, ca. 1875. The Durant Mausoleum stands prominently on the side of Battle Hill, along Battle Avenue. The rarely-seen interior features three sculptures by John Moffitt as well as a plaque put there by Durant's son. It reads, "This Vault was Constructed Anno Domini 1868. For Thomas Clark Durant, M.D. Projector, Builder, Vice President, and General Manager of the Union Pacific Railroad. He died October 5, 1885. And this inscription to his memory was placed here by his son William West Durant, Anno Domini 1891." (Lot 10399, Sec. 65)

Mausoleum of shipping magnate Charles Morgan (1795-1878), ca. 1875. (Lot 2590, Sec. 81)

Mausoleum of tobacconist John Anderson (1812-1881), ca. 1870. John Anderson’s Greek Revival Tomb, in the form of a Greek Temple, is dated 1864 above its door. Greek Revival architecture, sometimes referred to as “columnar,” was particularly popular in America in the 1830’s and 1840’s. It conjured up America’s role as the successor to ancient Greece as the bastion of democratic Ideals, and was associated with the latest social movements. This architectural style was particularly appropriate for Anderson’s tomb, for he used his great wealth to support a variety of progressive causes. Greek Revival features of this tomb include its fluted columns, ionic capitals, pilasters, pedimented gable, heavy cornices with unadorned friezes, and horizontal transoms. The four statuettes, two in front and two in back, are of the evangelists, Matthew Mark, Luke and John, and are signed by their sculptor, and the designer of the tomb, John M. Moffitt. (Lot 13724, Sec. K/111)

Monument to John Kerr, ca. 1875. (Lot 16648, Sec. 56)

View of Bay Side Dell from atop Bay Grove Hill, ca. 1875. Bay Side Dell, also known as Clinton Dell, is home to the monumental statue memorializing DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828). In this image, circa 1875, elaborate landscaping featuring planters and a variety of trees can be seen on the central grassy expanse of the dell. This lot would later become the final resting place of Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888) of Currier & Ives fame. (Clinton Dell, Sec. 108)

Monument of Governor DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828) of New York, ca. 1860-1870. DeWitt Clinton, a United States Senator, governor, and mayor, and the visionary behind the Erie Canal, was at one time the most revered New Yorker. Having died in 1828, Clinton was originally interred in Little Albany Cemetery. Green-Wood, however, in an attempt to attract publicity to the newly-established cemetery, made arrangements to have Clinton reinterred, with an heroic bronze monument marking his grave. The statue of Clinton is by sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, and the bas reliefs that adorn the monument base were designed by Richard Upjohn. It was unveiled, with much fanfare, in 1853. (Clinton Dell, Sec. 108)

The Receiving Tomb, designed by Richard Upjohn, ca. 1875. Receiving tombs were a staple in nineteenth century cemeteries, serving as a holding space for caskets until they were ready for interment. They were especially important during the cold winter months, when the frozen ground made digging impossible.

Mausoleum of Ambrose Cornelius Kingsland (1804-1878), ca. 1865. (Lot 8033, Sec. 75)

Arbor Water, as seen from Sycamore Avenue, ca. 1875. Arbor Water, a glacial pond formerly located near the main entrance of the cemetery, was removed in 1911 to make way for Green-Wood's Historic Chapel. The pond is seen here from the rise of Bay Grove Hill, behind the angel sculptures that once adorned the Chambettaz Mausoleum. The spires of the Receiving Tomb are visible to the left.

Monument to Elias Howe (1819-1867), inventor of the sewing machine, 1906. The monument to Elias Howe, standing prominently at the intersection of Battle and Hemlock Avenue, features a bronze likeness of Howe, sculpted by famed artist Charles Calverley. (Lot 19967, Sec. H)

Detailed view of monument to Charlotte Canda, ca. 1875.

Vandervoort monument, ca. 1860. (Lot 3832, Sec. 81)

Lot of the Spencer family, ca. 1870.

Monument to Charlotte Canda, ca. 1890.

Green-Wood Cemetery Gates, 25th Street, 1899. The Gothic Revival entrance gates and clocktower were designed by the firm ecclesiastical architect Richard Upjohn and son Richard M. Upjohn — both Brooklyn residents, later interred at Green-Wood — and completed in 1865. As described the Landmarks Preservation Commission's 1966 Designation Report, the Upjohn-designed entrance "represents an ingenious linking together and piling up of architectural elements to create an impressive main gateway to the cemetery." Green-Wood's gates are also home to an unexpected population of cemetery guests: a colony of monk parakeets, allegedly escapees from an illicit shipment to Idlewild Airport (JFK).

Monument of William and Betsey Dunley, ca. 1860. (Lot 3320, Sec. 109)

Monument of Mary T. Baldwin Norris, ca. 1865. Walk around behind Mary’s sculpture; note the signature of the sculptor, Joel Tanner Hart. Hart also sculpted busts of Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay. Originally from Missouri, Hart established his studio in Florence, Italy, where he died in 1877. Sculptor Hiram Powers called Hart “the best bust-maker in the world.” (Lot 1968, Sec. 77)

Rear entrance of the Receiving Tomb, ca. 1860.

View of John Anderson's monument from the front, with small tree to the right and Green-Wood's main entrance gates in the background, ca. 1875.

Monument of Gordon Webster Burnham (1803-1885), brass and copper manufacturer, by the prolific sculptor John Moffitt, circa 1870. This scene, at Battle, Fern, and Mulberry Avenues, shows the monument of Colonel Abraham Vosburgh (1825-1861), by sculptor Patrizio Piatti, topped by an eagle at the far right, the mausoleum of Thomas Clark Durant (1820-1885) near the center, and New York City’s Civil War Soldiers' Monument at the left. (Lot 17609, Sec. 123)

View north down Battle Avenue, from in front of the mausoleum of John Anderson (1812-1881), ca. 1865. One of the original entrances to Green-Wood, located at 24th Street and Sixth Avenue, predating the Gothic Arches, is still visible in this image, at the far right.

While most of this series has focused on some of New York's interior spaces as we've been stuck in our apartments, we thought for this one we'd try something different. So we've turned our gaze to some of the best places for New Yorkers to escape to: the parks of New York! Specifically, how three of New York's most iconic parks connect.

Monument to Abraham S. Vosburgh (1825-1861), ca. 1875. Abraham Vosburgh was one of the earliest casualties of the Civil War, dying of consumption in 1861 soon after arriving in Washington, D.C., as commander of the 71st New York State National Guard. Vosburgh was returned to Brooklyn for interment and the members of the 71st Regiment erected a monument in his honor at Green-Wood, sculpted by Patrizzio Piatti. The large white marble column is topped with an eagle taking flight and inscribed "Pro Patria," meaning "For Country." As seen in this photograph, the monument was once surrounded by a unique cast iron fence - the posts were cast as bayoneted rifles. (Lot 13808, Sec. 123)

View of five mausoleums along the southeastern side of Ocean Hill, from the intersection of Central and Grove Avenues, ca. 1865.

Arbor Water, a glacial pond formerly located near the entrance of The Green-Wood Cemetery, ca. 1870. Arbor water was one of several glacial ponds on the land that would become Green-Wood. It was filled in in 1911 to make space for Green-Wood's Historic Chapel, designed by architects Warren & Wetmore and completed in 1912. As seen in this photo, rowboats were once available for cemetery visitors to take out on the water.

Arbor Water, with a view of the Receiving Tomb along Willow Avenue, ca. 1865.

Founded in 1838 and now a National Historic Landmark, Green-Wood was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. By the early 1860s, it had earned an international reputation for its magnificent beauty and became the prestigious place to be buried, attracting 500,000 visitors a year, second only to Niagara Falls as the nation’s greatest tourist attraction. Crowds flocked there to enjoy family outings, carriage rides, and sculpture viewing in the finest of first generation American landscapes. Green-Wood’s popularity helped inspire the creation of public parks, including New York City’s Central and Prospect Parks. This tour takes you through some of the monuments of Green-Wood and its famous denizens.

Mausoleum of prominent surgeon Dr. Valentine Mott (1785-1865), ca. 1870. (Lot 6035, Sec. 98)

Monument to actor Bernard Flaherty, better known by his stage name Barney Williams (1824-1876). (Lot 13464, Sec. 111)

One sure-fire way to lose a presidential election? Become the mayor of New York City first. Running the country’s most populous city seems like an excellent résumé booster, but every NYC mayor who’s tried has failed to secure the nation’s highest office. By Serena Troshynski, Reference Librarian, NYPL Milstein Division of U.S. History, Local History, and Genealogy.

View west from Ocean Hill, overlooking the lot of Peter Cooper (1791-1883), ca. 1875.

DeWitt Clinton Monument, ca. 1860.

Monument to Charlotte Canda, ca. 1865.

Monument to Irad Hawley (1793-1865), ca. 1870.

View along Landscape Avenue, near Valley Water, ca. 1865.

Monument of Jane Debevoise, ca. 1860. (Lot 6422, Sec. 57)

Chauncey Mausoleum, ca. 1870. (Lot 1017, Sec. 95)

View along Sycamore Avenue in The Green-Wood Cemetery, ca. 1880.