An article on March 21 in The New York Times by Jane L. Levere, "Art and History Among the Dead," is an interesting insight into 1) the artistic value of the sculpture in cemeteries, and 2) the ways in which cemeteries can capitalize on their visual resources. Many cemeteries do not have the economic resources for ongoing maintenance. However, cemeteries are outdoor museums, as we genealogists already appreciate, and educational and nature programming can take advantage of that and raise money for ongoing support as well.
Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx has a number of events sponsored by the Woodlawn Conservance: Art, Architecture, History, Landscape, Nature tours by trolley or walking. They even offer concerts! Although many very wealthy people are buried there, there are also "regular" people. Joe and I visited there last year and saw many interesting monuments and mausoleums as well as the beautifully landscaped grounds. Their photo policy prevents me from posting any photos.
Green-Wood Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark, in Brooklyn, also has a full schedule of activities. You can conduct a burial search online--by name and date only. There is a free form to fill out to find out what records they have on a particular burial. Once the records are identified there is a $28 per 1/2 hour research fee to have them duplicated and sent to you. As expensive as that is, remember that your dollars go to support the maintenance of the cemetery as a place of enjoyment and research (at a price). Their photography policy again prevents me from posting any photos.
Quoted in the New York Times article, Joseph P. Dispenza of the Forest Lawn cemetery in Buffalo, said, "Surrounding the dead with the living and with museumlike activities ensures the dead will not be forgotten." And that's the challenge for the small and neglected cemeteries, too.
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