Greenwood Union Cemetery Explained

Greenwood Union Cemetery
Established:	1837
Country:	United States
Location:	Rye, New York
Owner:	Non-sectarian, non-profit corporation
Size:	54 acres
Graves:	27,000+
Findagraveid:	64721
Website:	http://greenwoodunion.org

The Greenwood Union Cemetery is a cemetery in Rye and Harrison in Westchester County, 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 3acres 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 8acres contiguous to the cemetery, and, between 1864 and 1868, they added more than 6acres. The total land was then 14.25acres.^[1]

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.^[1] 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.^[1]

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.

External links

Notes and References

Web site: History . 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 3acres 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 8acres contiguous to this tract, and, between 1864 and 1868, they added more than 6acres, making 14.25acres in all. . Greenwood Union Cemetery . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726132140/http://www.greenwoodunion.org/Our%20History.htm . 2011-07-26 . dead .