Celebrating Our 15th By Giving Back: Green-Wood Cemetery
Nov 23, 2020
As a part of our 15th Anniversary celebration and thank you to Brooklyn, we’ve selected 15 non-profit organizations to highlight that are doing work in our borough—or directly helping our fellow Brooklynites. We encourage everyone to learn a bit about the people making our community stronger and, if possible, to join us in making a small monetary donation to further their work. We thank them for everything they do and thank you for supporting a small, woman-owned Brooklyn business for the past 15 years!
Green-Wood Cemetery has been a Brooklyn institution since 1838. In fact, it’s now considered one of the country’s first rural (!) cemeteries. Obviously much has changed since then, and though the land surrounding Green-Wood is now far from rural, inside those gates, Brooklynites can still enjoy its massive green expanse and a tranquil (and often solitary) stroll. It’s saved our sanity throughout the last year as public space became a real commodity and we’re especially grateful for its deep history, changing leaves, beautiful vistas, and meandering pathways right now.
Long beloved for its education and outreach, Green-Wood has not only kept its gates open throughout the pandemic for socially distanced walks and visits, its dynamic education lineup has continued online. And though we’re particularly grateful right now, Green-Wood has always been a draw, as its website explains:
“Green-Wood is a living cemetery that brings people closer to the world as it is and was, by memorializing the dead and bringing to life the art, history, and natural beauty of New York City.
Founded in 1838 and now a National Historic Landmark, Green-Wood was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. By the early 1860s, it had earned an international reputation for its magnificent beauty and became the prestigious place to be buried, attracting 500,000 visitors a year, second only to Niagara Falls as the nation’s greatest tourist attraction.”
500, 000 people can’t be wrong, which is why we want to again thank Green-Wood for its contributions to Brooklyn.