Established in 1851, the cemetery is situated on an oblong, wooded site that slopes up to its western boundary. Designed by landscape gardener Howard Daniels, this scenographic design took full advantage of the site’s naturally steep grades, creating sweeping vistas to the east, with terraced steps that are nestled into the dramatic topography and curvilinear roads and paths that wind around strategically-placed groupings of deciduous and evergreen trees.
Picturesque structures were an integral part of Daniel’s original plans, including a receiving vault and Superintendent’s cottage, while the cemetery’s main entrance along Dale Street is marked by imposing thirty-foot tall marble pillars with rough marble walls. The stone for these walls, the receiving vault, Superintendent’s cottage, and many other walls and monuments on the site was quarried at nearby Sing Sing prison and worked by prisoners there until about 1920. Originally fifty acres, the site was reduced to 37 acres late in the 20th century, but the park-like character of Daniels’ original design remains intact.
