Forest Lawn Cemetery is a historic

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...

in Buffalo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

, founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clarke. It covers over and over 152,000 are buried there, including U.S. President Millard Fillmore, First Lady Abigail Fillmore, singer

Rick James James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in ...

, Congresswoman

Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional dist ...

, and inventor

Lawrence Dale Bell Lawrence Dale "Larry" Bell (April 5, 1894 – October 20, 1956) was an American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation. Biography Bell was born in Mentone, Indiana, and lived there until 1907, when his family moved to Santa Moni ...

. Forest Lawn is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Overview

Since its inception, Forest Lawn has served as a cemetery, park,

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

, crematory and outdoor museum. Monuments, mausoleums and sculptures have attracted visitors for over 150 years. The first sculpture of Seneca Indian chief

Red Jacket Red Jacket (known as ''Otetiani'' in his youth and ''Sagoyewatha'' eeper Awake''Sa-go-ye-wa-tha'' as an adult because of his oratorical skills) (c. 1750–January 20, 1830) was a Seneca orator and chief of the Wolf clan, based in Western New Yor ...

was erected in 1851. Red Jacket is depicted wearing the richly embroidered scarlet coat presented to him by a British officer, while on his breast is displayed the large silver peace medal awarded to him by President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

. ''Note:'' This includes
''Accompanying photographs''
, an
''Accompanying captions''
Every summer Forest Lawn offers "Sundays in the Cemetery" tours, each with a particular theme. Past examples have included the

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood ...

Trolley Tour, Forest Lawn History Trolley Tour, Forest Lawn History Walk,

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

Bus Tour and the Forest Lawn Nature Walk.

Margaret L. Wendt Archive and Research Center

In 2014, the Margaret L. Wendt Archive and Resource Center opened within the cemetery. It is a digitized history center, of

interment Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

records maintained since 1849, that features a number of interpretive displays highlighting the notable citizens buried in the cemetery. The building features

climate control Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...

led rooms and the design of the building mimics some of the historic structure that once stood at the same site. The staff includes Sandy Starks (Interpretive Program Director), John Edens and Lydia Ortiz. Construction and funding for the Center was provided by The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation along with support from The John R. Oishei Foundation.

Mausoleums

In 2004,

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

’s 1928 design for the

Blue Sky Mausoleum Blue Sky Mausoleum, in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York, is the 2004 completion of a 1928 design by Frank Lloyd Wright as a commercial cemetery project. The design was completed by a one-time apprentice to Wright, Anthony Puttnam. Pu ...

was realized. The Mausoleum contains 24 crypts, which can be purchased and memorialized by individual owners. The Blue Sky Mausoleum is one of three Frank Lloyd Wright memorial sculptures in the world. Sculptor David P. Dowler created a Steuben Glass piece in a limited edition of 26, of which 24 are reserved for those who purchase crypts in the Mausoleum. Crypt clients also receive a copy of architectural historian Richard O. Reisem's 2005 book, ''Blue Sky Mausoleum of Frank Lloyd Wright''. Other mausoleums in the cemetery include: *Burgess-Little Mausoleum – designed by H. H. (Henry Harrison) Little. *Butler Mausoleum – constructed for Edward H. Butler, proprietor of the ''

Buffalo Evening News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

''. *Buswell-Hochstetter Mausoleum *Good Mausoleum – constructed for Daniel B. Good, who established the Seibert-Good Company in Chicago, which later consolidated with the Seymour H. Knox stores of Buffalo, N.Y. and finally amalgamated with the

F.W. Woolworth Company The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's or simply Woolworth) was a retail company and one of the pioneers of the five-and-dime store. It was among the most successful American and international five-and-dime businesses, se ...

. *Goodyear (Frank) Mausoleum – constructed for Frank Henry Goodyear, who, with his brother, Charles W. Goodyear, started the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad. *Kellner Mausoleum – constructed for John. S. Kellner, president of the Crystal Ice and Storage Company. *Knox Mausoleum – constructed for Seymour H. Knox I, co-founder of

F. W. Woolworth Company The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's or simply Woolworth) was a retail company and one of the pioneers of the five-and-dime store. It was among the most successful American and international five-and-dime businesses, se ...

. *Laub Mausoleum *Letchworth-Skinner Mausoleum – *Mitchel H. Mark Mausoleum – constructed for

Mitchell Mark Mitchel H. Mark a.k.a. Mitchell Mark a.k.a. Mitchell H. Mark (born as Mitchel Henry Mark) (1868 – March 20, 1918) was a pioneer of motion picture exhibition in the United States. Early life Mitchel Henry Mark was born in 1868 in Richmond Virgi ...

, founder of the Vitascope Theater Company *Oberkircher Mausoleum – constructed for Caroline Oberkircher and family. *Pierce (George) Mausoleum – constructed for George N. Pierce who co-founded a company known as Heinz, Pierce and Munshauer for the manufacture of refrigerators, birdcages, iceboxes and bathtubs, until leaving to establish the Pierce Cycle Company, which later became the

Pierce-Arrow The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was an American motor vehicle manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks ...

Motor Car Co. *Stachura Mausoleum – constructed for Chester and Gloria Stachura. *Steuernagel Mausoleum – constructed for John Steuernagel, president and board chairman of Kleinhans department store. *Vars Mausoleum – designed by Lawrence Bley and Duane Lyman. Interred are Harry Thorp Vars, Gertrude Waltho Vars, Mary G. Vars, Addison Foster Vars, Addison F. Vars Jr., Aline Vars, Carlton J. Balliett, Evelyn Waltho Balliett Jr., Rose Waltho Brown, Bertha W. Barker, and Estelle Noell Reavis. *Walden-Myer Mausoleum – designed by Richard A. Waite for Buffalo's mayor from 1838–39, Ebenezer Walden, and son-in law, Albert J. Myer, recognized by many as the "founder and father" of the US Weather Bureau. *Willams-Pratt Mausoleum

Gallery

Image:Walden-Myer Mausoleum, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York, March 2005.jpg, Walden-Myer Mausoleum Image:Blue Sky Mausoleum 1.jpg, Blue Sky Mausoleum. Designed in 1928 by

for Darwin D. Martin. Constructed in 2004. Image:Blue Sky Mausoleum 4.jpg, Close-Up of Blue Sky Mausoleum Image:Red_Jacket_monument.jpg,

statue sculpted by James G. C. Hamilton, 1890. Image:Crane Monument - Forest Lawn, Buffalo.jpg, Thomas Crane Monument, 1853. Image:Blocher Memorial - Forest Lawn, Buffalo.jpg, The Blocher Memorial Image:Birge Memorial - Forest Lawn, Buffalo.jpg, The Birge Memorial by George Cary for George K. Birge, president of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company. Image:Fakir of Ava - Forest Lawn, Buffalo.jpg, Grave of the Fakir of Ava Image:Dorothy Goetz Berlin grave.jpg, Grave of Dorothy Goetz, wife of Irving Berlin Image:Cook Forest lawn.JPG, Marker for final resting place of Frederick Cook Image:Oishei Bell - Forest Lawn, Buffalo.jpg, The Oishei Bell, near the entrance to the cemetery Image:Blocher Memorial interior - Forest Lawn, Buffalo.jpg, Interior of the Blocher Memorial Image:Millard Fillmore Grave.jpg, Millard Fillmore grave Image:Rick James Grave.jpg,

grave Image:Colgan Air Flight 3407 Memorial.jpg, Memorial to the victims of

Colgan Air Flight 3407 Colgan Air Flight 3407 (marketed as Continental Connection Flight 3407 under a codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines), was a scheduled passenger flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York, which crashed on February 12, 2009. Th ...

Others buried here

* John J. Albright (1848-1931), American businessman and philanthropist * Lewis F. Allen (1800-1890), American politician and land developer * Major Andre Andrews (1792–1834), 2nd Mayor of Buffalo * William Farquhar Barry (1818–1879),

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

general * Hiram Barton (1810–1880), Mayor of Buffalo, 1849–1850, 1852–1853 * Lyman K. Bass (1836–1889), member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

* Philip Becker (1830–1898), Mayor of Buffalo, 1876–1877, 1886–1889 *

Al Boasberg Al Boasberg (December 5, 1891 – June 18, 1937) was an American comedy writer in vaudeville, radio, and film, as well as being a film director. Biography Boasberg was born in Buffalo, New York in a Jewish family. He is credited with helpin ...

(1891–1937), comedy writer *

Louise Blanchard Bethune Louise Blanchard Bethune (July 21, 1856 – December 18, 1913) was the first American woman known to have worked as a professional architect. She was born in Waterloo, New York. Blanchard worked primarily in Buffalo, New York and partnered with h ...

(1856–1913), first female architect * Daniel D. Bidwell Civil War brigadier general
John Brent
first African-American professional architect in Buffalo * Thomas A. Budd (1818–1862), US Navy officer. *

Willis Carrier Willis Haviland Carrier (November 26, 1876 – October 7, 1950) was an American engineer, best known for inventing modern air conditioning. Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. In 1915, he founded Carrier Cor ...

, inventor of modern air conditioning * Stephen Champlin, US Navy officer *

, American politician, educator, and author * George William Clinton, Mayor of Buffalo * Eli Cook, Mayor of Buffalo, 1853, 1854–1855 *

Frederick Cook Frederick Albert Cook (June 10, 1865 – August 5, 1940) was an American explorer, physician, and ethnographer who claimed to have reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. That was nearly a year before Robert Peary, who similarly claime ...

, explorer, physician, and

ethnographer Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject ...

* Lewis P. Dayton, Mayor of Buffalo, 1874–1875 *

William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer (February 5, 1832 in Lyons, Wayne County, New York – March 26, 1888 in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia) was an American lawyer, journalist, newspaper publisher, and politician. Early life Dorsheimer was born on Februar ...

, United States Congressman and Lt. Governor of New York State. *

William Fargo William George Fargo (May 20, 1818August 3, 1881) was a pioneer American expressman who helped found the modern-day financial firms of American Express Company and Wells Fargo with his business partner, Henry Wells. He was also the 27th Mayor o ...

, Mayor of Buffalo, 1862–1865 * Abigail Fillmore, wife of U.S. President Millard Fillmore * Caroline C. Fillmore, second wife of U.S. President Millard Fillmore * Barbara Siggers Franklin, mother of singer

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

* Dorothy Goetz, first wife of

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

* Townsend Griffiss, first US aviator killed in Europe in World War II, 1900–1942 (memorial, body not recovered) *

Anna Katharine Green Anna Katharine Green (November 11, 1846 – April 11, 1935) was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. Green ...

, American poet and novelist *

Anson Goodyear Anson Conger Goodyear (June 20, 1877 – April 24, 1964) was an American manufacturer, businessman, author, and philanthropist and member of the Goodyear family. He is best known as one of the founding members and first president of the Museum of ...

, first president of the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of th ...

* Charles W. Goodyear, co-founder of the Great Southern Lumber Company * Nathan K. Hall, member of the

* Samuel P. Heintzelman, Civil War major general * E.F. "Tommy" Hughitt, 1920s NFL quarterback, politician and auto salesman *

, Native American

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extra ...

orator and chief of the Wolf

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meanin ...

. * Martha Jackson, art dealer, founder of the Martha Jackson Gallery * Edwin Jaeckle, New York Republican State Chairman 1940-1944 *

(1948–2004), American musician and composer * Edward Austin Kent, Buffalo architect who perished aboard the RMS ''Titanic'' (1854–1912) * Jesse Ketchum, Canadian politician and tannery owner in Toronto and Buffalo * William Ketchum, Mayor of Buffalo, 1844–1845 * Northrup R. Knox, Founder of the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

, banker and community leader * Seymour H. Knox I, businessman, co-founder of

* John D. Larkin, owner and founder of the Larkin mail order company, 1845–1926 * Stanford Lipsey (1927–2016), newspaper publisher * Timothy T. Lockwood, Mayor of Buffalo, 1858–1859 * John C. Lord, Presbyterian minister and activist * George Maltby Love, 1831–1887 Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient *

, pioneer of motion picture exhibition * Darwin D. Martin, Larkin Company executive and commissioner of the

Darwin D. Martin House The Darwin D. Martin House Complex is a historic house museum in Buffalo, New York. The property's buildings were designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built between 1903 and 1905. The house is considered to be one of the most imp ...

* Joseph G. Masten, Mayor of Buffalo, 1843–1844 & 1845–1846 * William McMillan, Buffalo's first Superintendent of Parks. * Henry Moxley, African-American businessman, religious leader and activist * Albert J. Myer father of the U.S. Army Signal Corps * Dr. Roswell Park, founder of

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a cancer research and treatment center located in Buffalo, New York. Founded by surgeon Roswell Park in 1898, the center was the first in the United States to specifically focus on cancer research. Th ...

Ely S. Parker Ely Samuel Parker (1828 – August 31, 1895), born ''Hasanoanda'' ( Tonawanda Seneca), later known as ''Donehogawa'', was a U.S. Army officer, engineer, and tribal diplomat. He was bilingual, speaking both Seneca and English, and became friend ...

attorney,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the lim ...

, and tribal

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or m ...

* Ralph Peo, Founder of Frontier Industries, CEO & Chairman of Houdaille Industries *

Kristen Pfaff Kristen Marie Pfaff (née Parco; May 26, 1967 – June 16, 1994) was an American musician, best known as the bassist for alternative rock band Hole from 1993 to 1994. Prior to Hole, Pfaff was the bassist and backing vocalist for Minneapolis-base ...

, ex-bassist of American rock band

Hole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of en ...

Hiram Pratt Hiram Pratt (June 28, 1800 – April 27, 1840) was an American politician and mayor of Buffalo, New York, serving 1835–1836 and 1839–1840. Early life Pratt was born in Westminster, Vermont on June 28, 1800, and moved to Buffalo as a child wit ...

, Mayor of Buffalo *

Bennett C. Riley Bennet C. RileyHis name is sometimes written as Bennett, but his own correspondence uses the spelling of Bennet. See United States. Congress. House. 13th Congress, 2d Session-49th Congress. House Documents, Otherwise Publ. as Executive Documents: ...

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

General and last military Governor of California * Charles Rohlfs, American actor, patternmaker,

stove A stove or range is a device that burns fuel or uses electricity to generate heat inside or on top of the apparatus, to be used for general warming or cooking. It has evolved highly over time, with cast-iron and induction versions being develope ...

designer and

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fur ...

maker * Charles Cary Rumsey, sculptor * William Findlay Rogers, Mayor of Buffalo, US Representative. *

Jacob F. Schoellkopf Jacob Friedrich Schoellkopf (November 15, 1819 – September 15, 1899) was a pioneer in harnessing the hydroelectric power of Niagara Falls. Early life Jacob F. Schoellkopf was born on November 15, 1819 in Kirchheim Unter Teck, a small town in th ...

(1819—1899), industrialist * Grace Carew Sheldon (1855–1921), American journalist, author, editor, businesswoman * Henry K. Smith, Mayor of Buffalo, 1850–1851 * Alfred P. Southwick, steam-boat engineer, dentist and inventor of the first

electric chair An electric chair is a device used to execute an individual by electrocution. When used, the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes fastened on the head and leg. This execution method, ...

* Elbridge G. Spaulding, American lawyer, banker, and politician.Mr. Spaulding and Greenback Resumption (1875, October 16). In ''The Commercial and Financial Chronicle'' (Vol. XXI, p. 358). New York, NY: William B. Dana.
/ref> * Stanley Spisiak, Conservationist and savior of Lake Erie * Alfred P. Stone, member of the

Mary Burnett Talbert Mary Burnett Talbert (born Mary Morris Burnett; September 17, 1866 – October 15, 1923) was an American orator, activist, suffragist and reformer. In 2005, Talbert was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Career Mary Morris Bur ...

* Sheldon Thompson, Mayor of Buffalo * Josiah Trowbridge, physician and Mayor of Buffalo * George Urban Jr. (1850–1928), businessman * Richard A. Waite, British-born American architect * John B. Weber, Civil War colonel and

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

, 1885–1889 * Chandler J. Wells, Mayor of Buffalo, 1866–1867 * John G. Wickser,

New York State Treasurer The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the ...

, 1903-1904 * Samuel Wilkeson, industrialist and Mayor of Buffalo *

Joseph Willcocks Joseph Willcocks (1773 – September 4, 1814) sometimes spelt Wilcox was a publisher and political figure in Upper Canada. He was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada in 1807 representing York, 1st Lincoln and Haldimand. He was re-electe ...

, former member of the

Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was the elected part of the legislature for the province of Upper Canada, functioning as the lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada. Its legislative power was subject to veto by the appointed Li ...

and

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the Canadian Volunteers (

) during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

* William Williams, U.S. Representative, railroad executive, banker * Craig Lehner, Buffalo Police Officer * 17 unidentified victims of the Angola Horror * 11 unknown soldiers who died in hospitals in Buffalo during the Civil War

References

External links

Forest Lawn Cemetery official site
{{Authority control 1849 establishments in New York (state) Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Geography of Buffalo, New York Cemeteries in Erie County, New York Historic districts in Buffalo, New York Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Buffalo, New York Rural cemeteries Tombs of presidents of the United States