Cypress Hills Cemetery Thanks to Neil Sullivan, who took a number of recent photos, I was inspired to do a little research and create a page for the Cemetery. Prior to 1847, it was common for most burials to take place in church graveyards or on farmlands. That space quickly became scarce in Manhattan, and a bill was passed that permitted private enterprises to purchase land and sell burial plots for profit. The available land was primarily in Queens, and there was an active business in digging up remains and shipping them to Queens. Cypress Hills became one of the earliest private non sectarian cemeteries in 1848. In order to get around size limitations, cemeteries would span across borough borders. In the 1860s demand for burial space for Civil War mortalities led to the sale of part of Cypress Hills for a National Cemetery.
	Starting with a map of the cemetery contributed by Neil. Note how the cemetery straddles the boroughs. Corporations were limited to buying 250 acres so one way around it was to straddle the two boroughs for a larger allotment.
		Entrance to Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn N.Y. Maker: Dated: 1906 Status: need The 2005 shot shows this ornate entrance is long gone.The large structure behind the entrance is gone as well. Cypress Hills National Cemetery was made part of the National Cemetery system in 1862, in an act signed by President Lincoln. It is the only national cemetery in New York City. That part is run by the national Cemetery System and is considered separate from Cypress Hills. Pictures of that can be seen on the Hale Ave. page.
		Jamaica Avenue Entrance to Cypress Hills Cemetery Maker: Wm Fick Dated: unknown Status: need Great shot from early 1900s with a running trolley and the Cypress Hills station in the background. Note at this time the BMT line used to end right there. Entrance to Cypress Hills Cemetery Maker: Wm. Fick Dated: Unknown Status:Own(RG) Another great similar shot, with a horse drawn carraige. The arch was added in 1893 (the date can be seen on the arch). The office was planned at the same time but not built until 1896. Although it appears to be brick, it is mostly woodframe painted to look like brick. The tower held a bell that used to sit right at the entrance. I do not have a date as to when the arch and the office building were removed.
	Entrance to Cypress Hills Cemetery Maker: Unk,German Dated: 1911 Status: Own(RG) This one appeared recently by an unknown maker, postally cancelled in 1911. A rare handcolored shot of the entrance. Printed in Germany. The cemetery was set up as incorporated Trust, so there was no mechanism to raise funds like issuing stock or debt- so the Trustees approached the owners of the plots for subscriptions of $2 a plot to raise the funds to build the arch and the office.
	The Cemetery issued a publication in the 1850s that gave the history including the Rural Cemetery Act that made the cemetery possible. It also listed all the owners. It was quite common for church groups to purchase entire sections for use by their congregation. The publication was also full of ads, not surprisingly, for undertakers, florists, and stoneworkers. I found an ad from Joseph Banzer, who founded an amusement area on the land bordered by the cemetery and the reservoir. His descendants confirmed to me he was trained in Granite work in Germany so it all lines up. Another interesting tidbit; Machpela Cemetery, listed in the ad, is where Houdini is buried.
	Mike Greaney used to work summers at the cemetery, and awhile back he sent me this story. To my amazement (and his), I came across this picture in a reprint of the old King's Photographs of Brooklyn circa 1906.
	This image appeared in the June 10, 1917 edition of the New York Times. It was an annual ceremony dedicated to the memory of New York Police officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty.
	This appears to be a photo mailed out by Alfred Maltry in 1940 of a monument in Cypress Hills.
		Cypress Cemetery, 2006 The following series of shots are all courtesy of Neil Sullivan.The first two are of the office at the entrance and of Highland Way, with FK Lane visible in the distance.
		Jackie Robinson Jackie is interred on the Queens side of the cemetery. The second shot shows a cemetery road going under the old Interboro Parkway, now known as the Jackie Robinson Parkway. Construction of that roadway necessitated moving some remains; the famous curves of the Parkway were the result of attempts to minimize the number of plots disturbed. A short history of the Interboro can be found on our Upper Highland Park page.
		Views from Cypress Cemetery Did you know? I split up these views because I learned that at one time the cemetery had a 140 foot tall tower perched atop this hill! What a view that must have been. The U.S. Government even used it for coastal surveys, because it could be seen from the ocean with the aide of reflectors. Built from wood in 1855, it eventually rotted and had to be torn down in 1894. It was located in the Mount Victory area but we do not have a picture.
		Views from Cypress Cemetery The second view is looking south down Crescent Ave. from the cemetery. Note the elevated supports which held the original tracks when the line stopped at Cypress Hills are still there.
		Cypress Hills Abbey The large Abbey was built in 1926, and Mae West is buried in one of the crypts inside. Judy Close has provided us with an update; the cemetery no longer provides access to Mae West's crypt, in deference to privacy for the family. Judy provides some background on an earlier trip in the story below. The second shot Neil and I just thought was cool, with tombs buried right into the hillside.
The following articles related to the history of Cypress Cemetery can be found at the Brooklyn Eagle Online July 28, 1874- Early history of Cypress Cemetery June 7, 1891- Announcement of plans for new entrance and office building June 13, 1894- Demolition of Tower December 4, 1896- Building of new office

Cypress Hills Cemetery