The Urban Mausoleum

It is a common, but understandable, misconception that cemeteries in large urban areas like New York City no longer have space available for constructing new private mausoleums.

While motoring along the Jackie Robinson Parkway or the Long Island Expressway past the seemingly endless acres of jam-packed cemeteries, it’s easy to understand why most people think all available space has been taken. After all, the cemeteries along those roadways have been around as long as any living person’s memory. Surely they must have reached their capacity long ago. Indeed, the cemeteries seem to resemble lower profile versions of Manhattan’s famous skyline.

While it is true that there is essentially no private mausoleum space available in Manhattan (Trinity Cemetery does have space in its community mausoleum), in fact, all other boroughs, as well as neighboring Westchester County, have cemeteries with plenty of space for traditional burial as well as for private mausoleums.

Although there have certainly been a number of high profile individuals, such as Leona and Harry Helmsley and director Martin Scorsese, who have recently built brand new mausoleums in New York City, many less public New Yorkers have also commissioned mausoleums in the past few years.

While the borough of Staten Island and Westchester County just to the north of the Bronx have substantial areas of undeveloped land, even Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx have sufficient land in many of their cemeteries to construct private mausoleums. Historic Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn and Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx have had new private mausoleums constructed in the last few years. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery of Headless Horseman fame has recently acquired land from the adjoining Rockefeller estate to enable the cemetery to expand their grounds.

Cemetery superintendents have told us that there has been a noticeable increase in inquiries for space to build private mausoleums. Although the price tag may be high, there are individuals who continue to want to provide an eternal memorial for themselves, their families, and for generations to come.

Private mausoleums, just like their residential counterparts are usually constructed along traditional lines, but mausoleum builders are more than willing to break the mold and work with clients to design a one-of-a-kind final residence.

My next blog will discuss some of the options that modern builders and architects have constructed. There is very little a creative team can not do.

Text and copy © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page

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