Greenwood Union Cemetery, Rye, New York
History
The first cemetery 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 (12,000 m) of land to Christ's Church, Rye, with plots to 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 (32,000 m) contiguous to the cemetery, and, between 1864 and 1868, they added more than 6 acres (24,000 m). The total land was then 14.25 acres (57,700 m).
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.
Notable burials
- Bill Bergesch (1921–2011) American Major League Baseball executive.
- Eddie Eagan (1897–1967) one of only two people to win a gold medal in the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.
- Marta Eggerth (1912–2013) Hungarian-born singer and actress.
- Marquis James (1891–1955) American author.
- Jean Kerr (1922–2003) American author.
- William West Kirkby (1827–1907), Rector of Christ's Church, Rye.
- Edward LeMaire (1924–1961) American figure skater.
- John McGillicuddy (1930–2009) American banking executive.
- John Motley Morehead III (1870–1965) former mayor of Rye and US Ambassador to Sweden.
- Jared Valentine Peck (1816–1891) US Representative.
- Marvin Pierce (1893–1969), president of McCall Corporation and father of Barbara Bush.
- Clarine Seymour (1898–1920) American actress.
- George Smith (1892–1965) American Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Dick Surhoff (1929–1987) American National Basketball Association player.
- Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright (1864–1945) US Congressman.
References
- ^ "History". Greenwood Union Cemetery. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
The burial ground originally known as the Union Cemetery of Rye dates back to 1837. In that year, James Parker and David Brooks of Rye gave 3 acres (12,000 m) of land to the authorities of Christ Church, Rye, with the stipulations that certain plots should be reserved as burial places for the ministers of the three churches of Rye and their families, and that two strips on the eastern and western sides of the ground be appropriated as a public cemetery. In January 1855, the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Rye bought 8 acres (32,000 m) contiguous to this tract, and, between 1864 and 1868, they added more than 6 acres (24,000 m), making 14.25 acres (57,700 m) in all.
