Maple Grove Cemetery, cemetery in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York
Maple Grove Cemetery is a historic burial ground in Queens, New York, situated on rocky hills that include some of the highest points in the area. The grounds feature winding paths, mature trees, historic monuments, and a modern administrative center that opened in 2009 to better serve visitors and families.
The cemetery was founded in 1873 by six businessmen from Brooklyn who purchased 75 acres across Jamaica and Newtown to create a peaceful burial ground outside the city. This venture followed the rural cemetery movement that began in the United States with Mount Auburn Cemetery near Boston in 1831.
The cemetery holds the stories of community members who shaped local history, including musicians, artists, and civil rights activists like Samuel Cisco who fought against segregation. Their graves reflect the neighborhood's cultural roots and the values of those who lived there.
The grounds are most easily reached by train, as a station opened just three years after the cemetery's founding and continues to serve the area today. The cemetery has marked pathways and staff at the administrative center available to help with directions and answer visitor questions.
The cemetery once distributed free railroad tickets to encourage potential visitors to make the journey and attend burials, a promotional strategy that reflects how its founders marketed it as a leisure and contemplative destination. This approach was part of the broader rural cemetery movement that treated burial grounds as places for reflection on life and nature.
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