Trinity Cemetery
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Trinity Cemetery
Olivia Pei |
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Trinity Cemetery and Mausoleum
About this Tour Stop...
Once you exit the courtyard onto Broadway, walk south to 154th St. To the southeast, you will see the church of intercession and to the southwest you will see Trinity Cemetery. To enter the Cemetery walk to 153rd St and make a right, heading west until you reach the large iron gates, about halfway down the block. Through the gates and following the path through the cemetery, the area you are walking through was the second line of defense during the Battle of Fort Washington on November 16, 1776. The battle was a devastating loss to George Washington and his troops, who were pushed into Pennsylvania and New Jersey by the British. The Cemetery you now stand in was opened in 1843 and many high society New Yorkers are buried here. Turn the first bend and follow the path south. On the left, you will notice the Astor Vault. John Jacob Astor I was the first multi-millionaire in the United States. According to the latest Forbes rankings, he would have had an estimated net worth of $110.1 billion in 2006 U.S. dollars, making him the fourth wealthiest person in American history. The body of Col. John Jacob Astor IV, who was the wealthiest person aboard the Titanic and lost his life in the disaster, is buried in the Astor family vault. Continue walking, and follow the next bend, which will now lead you north. On your left you will notice a large statue: the Sands Bust. In the Trinity Church Mausoleum, located at the bottom of the Cemetery, you will also find the grave of Clement Clark Moore, who was an academic at Columbia University. He wrote A Visit From St. Nicholas, more commonly known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Initially written as a gift to his six children, it was only later published. Each Christmas, there is a candlelight commemoration at the grave at which the poem is read. The Moore house, Chelsea, at the time a country estate, gave its name to the surrounding neighborhood of Chelsea, Manhattan, and Moore’s land in the area is noted today by Clement Clarke Moore Park, located at 10th Avenue and 22nd Street.
The Cultural Complex at Audubon Terrace
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