Historic Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, NY Green-Wood Cemetery

Here’s a much in demand after community. It’s hard to get in; after all there are certain criteria. People have been dying to get into this private, tight security enclave since the 1800’s. It was paramount in the American Revolution. And yes the view of the Statue of Liberty is to die for! This is the highest point in Brooklyn. There are many of the rich and famous residing here, as well as war heroes, such as Susan Smith McKinney-Steward, first black woman doctor in New York State, Henry Ward Beecher, abolitionist, religious leader and Albert Anastasia, mobster. The address of this historic neighborhood is 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232-1317. The property does offer tours and even cocktail receptions. Today the neighborhood houses more than 560,000 permanent residents.

A terminal moraine is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier. In North America, the Outer Lands is a name given to the terminal moraine formed tectonically, like Long Island. Long Island shows landforms which include spontaneous elements such as mounds, hills, ridges, cliffs, valleys, rivers, peninsulas and numerous other structural elements. As a result, Brooklyn neighborhoods have names including mount, hill, height, slope and ridge. Brooklyn is at the western end of Long Island, and is now part of New York City. Anyway, the one of two moraines, known as the Ronkonkoma moraine, forms the spine of Long Island into Brooklyn. Long Island at 118 miles is the longest island in the United States.

The land formation of Brooklyn-Long Island made it important in the history of the United States. The height of the mounts, hills, and ridges gave the American Revolutionary Army vantage points from which they observe the British and German troops. The Battle of Long Island – Brooklyn was fought in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Mount Prospect, Prospect Park and Brooklyn Heights. Green-Wood Cemetery is one of these neighborhoods that took advantage of the glacial moraines. Battle Hill of the American Revolutionary War is the highest point in Brooklyn. The 478 acres Green-Wood Cemetery is 200 feet above sea level was founded in 1838. The cemetery was the proposal of Henry Evelyn Pierrepoint, a Brooklyn social leader and reformer. There are several famous monuments located there, including a Civil War Memorial. During the Civil War, Green-Wood Cemetery created the "Soldiers' Lot" for free veterans' burials. Julius Walker Adams, a Civil War colonel and engineer who designed preliminary plans for the Brooklyn Bridge is a resident. Abraham Duryee, Civil War general and Henry Halleck, General in command of all Union forces during the Civil War are residents.

The Altar to Liberty and the statue of Minerva are located on Battle Hill in Greenwood Cemetery. The Altar was placed to memorialize the Battle of Long Island, the first engagement of the American Revolutionary War which occurred near this hilltop on August, 27 1776. The statue of Minerva stands facing the other lady of freedom, the Statue of Liberty, Minerva’s left hand waving as the Statue of Liberty looks back. Green-Wood is a designated site on the Civil War Discovery Trail.

Green-Wood Cemetery is a registered member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System. Among the other birds found at the cemetery is the descendent colony of monk parakeets. It seems the escapees were on a flight from South America and escaped their containers at John F. Kennedy International Airport when it was still known as Idlewild International Airport in the 1960s. The parakeets evicted the pigeons and took up residence in the center spire of the front gate. Other birds nested found at the cemetery are Canada Geese, Mallard duck, hawks, several woodpeckers, robins, jays, starlings, finches, sparrows, and other small avians.

There is famous architecture and sculptures located in the neighborhood including the Cassard Monument , 1909 - 1910, pictured in Victorian Cemetery Art is a copy of the Angelof Grief which is an 1894 sculpture by William Wetmore Story that functions as the grave stone of the artist and his wife at the Protestant Cemetery, Rome.