WCEM_103: Green-Wood Cemetery

Season 1 Episode 3

STORIES THIS EPISODE

• Samuel Pierrepont, City Planner of Brooklyn

• James Weldon Johnson, Writer of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” (The African-American National Anthem)

• Horticulture: Why cemeteries are giving up on grass

• Leonard Bernstein, American Composer

• Revolutionary War: The Battle of New York

• Statuary: The Valentine Angel

• The heroic life and tragic death of Dr. Thomas Joiner-Lewis

• Behind-the-scenes: Cemetery Restoration

• Jean-Michel Basquiat, Brilliant Modern Artist

• The Bear of Green-Wood

Episode Description

Brooklyn’s 478 acre Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark. Host Roberto Mighty and experts explore landscape, glacial ponds and paths containing one of the largest outdoor collections of 19th- and 20th-century statuary and mausoleums. Roberto visits the lives of composer Leonard Bernstein; modern artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; and Civil War era Black physician Thomas Joiner-White.

Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery, in a time of rapid urbanization when churchyards in New York City were becoming overcrowded. Described as "Brooklyn's first public park by default long before Prospect Park was created", Green-Wood Cemetery was so popular that it inspired a competition to design Central Park in Manhattan, as well as Prospect Park nearby. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 and was made a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Official Website: www.green-wood.com/

Guest Expert: Dominique Jean-Louis

Title: Project Historian, New-York Historical Society

Dominique Jean-Louis is a doctoral candidate in U.S. history at NYU. She received her B.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies from Columbia University, where she first developed her interest in researching race and education in New York City. https://www.nyhistory.org

Guest Expert: Jeff Richman

Title: Cemetery Historian, Green-Wood Cemetery

Prior to becoming the Cemetery Historian at Green-Wood cemetery, Jeff Richman practiced criminal defense law for 35 years. He is the author of “Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery: New York's Buried Treasure” https://www.green-wood.com/ 

Guest Expert: Neela Wickremesinghe

Title: Manager of Restoration and Preservation, Green-Wood Cemetery

Neela K. Wickremesinghe joined the Green-Wood team during fall 2016. Ms. Wickremesinghe holds a BA in Architecture and Urbanism from Smith College and a MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. https://www.green-wood.com/ 

Guest Expert: Sara Evans

Title: Manager of Horticulture Operations and Projects, Green-Wood Cemetery

Sara oversees the management of plant records for Green-Wood’s arboretum and other data-driven projects and technology for the department of horticulture and coordinates the public and educational programs in environmental and natural science. She has worked at Green-Wood since 2016. She holds a BA degree in urban sustainability, with a concentration in environmental science and sociology, from CUNY Brooklyn College. https://www.green-wood.com/

 This Episode Licensed Media Attributions: S1 Ep3

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Description: The Memorial for Hezekiah Beers Pierrepont, the founder of Brooklyn Heights, and his family, was built c.1840s and was designed by Richard Upjohn. Pierrepont, who died in 1838, was the father of Henry Pierrepont, one of the founders of Green-Wood Cemetery. The brownstone memorial is located on one of the few man-made hillocks there. It was restored c.2010. 

Date 12 March 2015

Source Own work

Author Beyond My Ken

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Title: Eight hundred thousand slaves set free 

Collection: Anti-Slavery Collection Location: Boston Public Library, Rare Books Department

Rights: No known copyright restrictions.

Author Boston Public Library

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en 

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Description: Senatore Adolfo Apolloni

Source: http://notes9.senato.it/web/senregno.nsf/5bc690c66eeab5f2c125785d0054c11b/61d91afced964b964125646f005856a7?OpenDocument

Author: Senato della Repubblica Italiana

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/it/deed.en 

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