Monument to Samuel Finely Breese Morse (1791-1872), ca. 1875. Samuel F. B. Morse, perhaps best known for the invention of the telegraph and development of Morse Code, was also a leading painter, serving as the first president of the National Academy of Design. After Morse's wife fell ill and died before he could reach her, Morse turned his attention to developing a faster means of communication - what would become the electromagnetic telegraph—the first practical system for communicating faster than a person could carry a note. Morse's monument at Green-Wood stands prominently atop a hill overlooking Crescent Water. (Lot 5761, Sec. 25/32)

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.