DeWitt Clinton Monument, ca. 1870.

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)

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.

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.

DeWitt Clinton Monument, ca. 1860.