- Target:
- connecticut residents, yale community
- Region:
- United States of America
The Grove Street Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark, garnered this rare designation in 2001 because it "represents a mile-stone in the development of a cemetery as a distinct institution" and "its monuments reflect the history of funerary art in America, while its entrance gate is recognized as one of the leading examples of Egyptian Revival style in the country."
Founded in 1797, the Cemetery was created as part of New Haven's great civic awakening when the Green was transformed from a village commons with burial grounds to a stately and distinguished town center. Creating a beautiful, secure, and quiet place to honor the city's dead was central to this great undertaking. The cemetery was designed with streets and lush shade trees to be a beautiful city of the dead.
Its distinctive stone wall which pre-dates the cemetery gate, was designed by sculptor Hezekiah Augur. Its monumental Egyptian Revival gate was designed by Henry Austin, a premiere architect of Romantic Revival architecture in America, who also designed New Haven City Hall and other beloved landmarks here and throughout New England. For more information see:
www.nhpt.org
http://www.grovestreetcemetery.org/
TO: The Standing Committee, Proprietors of Grove Street Cemetery - G. Harold Welch Jr, Dr. David F. Musto, Dr. Curtis Patton, Prof. Harry B. Adams, Eleanor Babbitt, Anne Tyler Calabresi, Milton P. DeVane, Charles D. Ellis, Marjorie R. Hemingway, Prof. Howard R. Lamar, Prof. John G. Simon. Copy to: Mayor John DeStefano
RE: The Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven, CT
We the undersigned wish to express our support for the preservation of the Grove Street Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark. We oppose the plan to tear down large sections of its historic and architecturally significant wall along Prospect Street and to substitute cast-iron fences as replacements. We believe that this plan will cause irreparable harm to the character of the Cemetery and its setting.
We believe too, that the goal of the proponents of this plan - to enhance the experience of Yale students walking from Science Hill to the core campus can be best addressed through restoring the quality of the public space along the Cemetery wall through tree planting and street and sidewalk improvements.
We also ask the City of New Haven to take any and all steps necessary to secure and protect these historic resources.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Preserve the Grove Street Cemetery petition to connecticut residents, yale community was written by Anstress Farwell and is in the category City & Town Planning at GoPetition.