Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum

The mausoleum built in Romanesque Revival style holds 125 burial spaces within its stone walls and displays detailed architectural elements from the late 1800s. The surrounding grounds spread across a hillside with old trees and stone walls that separate the property from the neighboring public cemetery.

Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the mausoleum between 1884 and 1886 during the height of the family's industrial success. The construction period coincided with the expansion of many family estates throughout the region.

The site takes its name from a family that rose to prominence in the 19th century through railroads. Burial spaces remain reserved exclusively for direct descendants, their spouses, and unmarried daughters.

The cemetery sits on the eastern slope of Todt Hill next to Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, Staten Island. The property is private and not open to the public, though it can be viewed from adjacent streets.

The building draws direct inspiration from the 12th-century Abbey of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard in France. This Romanesque church in southern France inspired the proportions and many decorative details of the mausoleum.

Location: Staten Island

GPS coordinates: 40.58430,-74.12160

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:04