Flushing Cemetery is a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

in Flushing in the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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

History

Flushing Cemetery has several predecessors. In 1789 (64 years before the cemetery was founded),

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

had crossed the East River on a personal mission aboard his barge.Stuart, Schuyler Brandon. "The Story of Flushing Cemetery ". Published for the Tri-Centennial of Flushing 1645–1945. p. 3 Washington, like other noted landowners, journeyed to Flushing: The community was a center of scientific

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

. The cemetery's floral and arboreal beauty have become a memorial to Flushing's status as a center of horticulture to this day. During 1853, in which the Flushing Cemetery was founded, the population of Queens County was around 20,000. The land the original site for Flushing Cemetery would rest was the 20-acre John Purchase farm, which was selected by committee. A select number of individuals who attended the founding meeting:

Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...

John Gilder, Henry Christie, William Leonard, Caleb Smith, and Robert B. Parsons.Anonymous. "Flushing Cemetery: 100th Anniversary". Flushing, New York, 1853–1953. p. 10 Civic-minded citizens like these people had also organized the Flushing Cemetery Association.Stuart, Schuyler Brandon. "The Story of Flushing Cemetery". Published for the Tri-Centennial of Flushing 1645–1945. p. 7 The day these founders received their charter was May 5, 1853 was the same day in which the World's Fair in

New York Crystal Palace New York Crystal Palace was an exhibition building constructed for the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City in 1853, which was under the presidency of the mayor Jacob Aaron Westervelt. The building stood on a site behind the ...

was scheduled to open. Civil engineer Horace Daniels was responsible for plotting the grounds. In 1875, the Whitehead Duryea farm, which measured 50 acres and adjoined the cemetery, was purchased and added to the site.Anonymous. "Flushing Cemetery: 100th Anniversary". Flushing, New York, 1853–1953. p. 11 The Bayside Quakers and some of their relatives and neighbors, in about 1860, brought a half-acre within this cemetery in the western half of section I.Brierly, J. Ernest. "Long Ago On Long Island". ''Long Island Daily Press''. 20 Aug. 1967. Section I, which is also referred to as the Quaker Burial Place of Flushing, is where 43 people (the largest in one group) are buried, while 109 were buried in Flushing Cemetery. The Flushing Cemetery, where 41,000 bodies are buried and thousands more with reservations, has flowers, trees, and greenswards.Welsh, Frederick J. "He Has Made Flushing Cemetery A Place of Botanical Beauty". 5 Aug. 1951. Roland Schultheis, a scholarly man, became the keeper of the Flushing Cemetery and took great pride in caring for it. The preservation of the cemetery has also been regarded as a significant task. Individuals with both intelligence and distinguished family backgrounds have preserved its unusual beauty.Brierly, J. Ernest. "Long Ago On Long Island". ''Long Island Daily Press''. 10 Apr. 1966. The cemetery's manager Roland Schultheis was a descendant of the Schultheis Brothers who were internationally famous with their nurseries in

Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the foreland of the Taunus on its namesake Main, it forms a contin ...

, the largest in Europe: It is possible that Shultheis' ancestors were buried in this cemetery.

Burials

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(1901–1971), trumpeter and singer *

Bernard Baruch Bernard Mannes Baruch (August 19, 1870 – June 20, 1965) was an American financier and statesman. After amassing a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange, he impressed President Woodrow Wilson by managing the nation's economic mobilization in W ...

(1870–1965), businessman * Laurie Bird (1952–1979), actress and photographer * Eugene Bullard (1895–1961), the first African-American military pilot * Ellis Parker Butler (1869–1937), writer * Adam Clayton Powell Sr. (1865–1953), pastor * Charles S. Colden (1885–1960), lawyer and judge * Barney Corse (1799–1878), Quaker abolitionist *

Albert Fish Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish (May 19, 1870 – January 16, 1936) was an American serial killer, rapist, child molester and cannibal who committed at least three child murders between July 1924 and June 1928. He was also known as the Gra ...

(1870–1936), serial killer, child rapist and cannibal * Joseph Fitch (1857–1917), lawyer, politician and judge *

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

(1917–1993), jazz trumpet playerSix Feet Under the Borough of Jazz
. ''Grade "A" Fancy Magazine''. 21 May 2015. * Hermann Grab (1903–1949), writer *

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

(1907–1970), saxophonist * Thomas B. Jackson (1797–1881), politician *

Jan Matulka Jan Matulka (7 November 1890 – 25 June 1972) was a Czech-American modern artist originally from Bohemia. Matulka's style ranged from Abstract expressionism to landscapes, sometimes in the same day. He has directly influenced artists like Dor ...

(1890–1972), Czech-American modern artist *

Lemuel E. Quigg Lemuel Ely Quigg (February 12, 1863 – July 1, 1919) was a United States representative from New York (state), New York. Biography He was born near Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland to a Methodist minister. He attended the public schools of ...

(1863–1919), politician * May Robson (1858–1942), actress * Aris San (1940–1992), singer * Vincent Sardi Sr. (1885–1969), restauranteur *

Hazel Scott Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidadian jazz and classical pianist and singer. An outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation, she used her influence to improve the representation of Black America ...

(1920–1981), musician and singer *

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday. He ...

(1920–1971), trumpeter * Battling Siki (1897–1925), boxer * Frederic Storm (1844–1935), politician

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Website

Cemeteries in Queens, New York Flushing, Queens 1853 establishments in New York (state) Cemeteries established in the 1850s