The botanical garden landscape of Roslyn Cemetery

Located on Northern Boulevard in Greenvale, Roslyn Cemetery is a historic site owned by the Roslyn Presbyterian Church. The cemetery was created as a product of the Rural Cemetery Act, which intended to move burial grounds away from local churches and design them in a park-like setting. This design is evident in the grounds, which resemble a botanical garden more than a typical cemetery. Interments began in the 19th century and the site continues to accept burials today.

The East Gate Toll House sits on the southeast side of the cemetery and is visible from Northern Boulevard. Built around 1864, it was the last remaining toll house that served the North Hempstead Turnpike. Although frequently but incorrectly called a toll house for the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, it eventually became surrounded by the cemetery. After serving for many years as a shed for cemetery work tools, the structure was restored in the 1980s and now serves as a private residence.

The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the New York State Register of Historic Places, and is a Town of North Hempstead Designated Landmark. The cemetery contains many notable figures, including poet and journalist William Cullen Bryant, author Frances Hodgson Burnett, and poet and journalist Christopher Morley. It also contains the remains of former U.S. Congressman Stephen Taber, former Mobil Corporation President William Tavoulareas, and a section dedicated to fallen Civil War soldiers.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons