Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo is a historic rural cemetery located in Buffalo, New York, founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clarke and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City and Mount Royal Park in Montreal. The cemetery is the final resting place of many notable individuals, including Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States, and William G. Fargo, co-founder of Wells Fargo. Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo has been recognized for its historic significance and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990, alongside other notable cemeteries such as Arlington National Cemetery and Gettysburg National Cemetery.

● History

The history of Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo dates back to 1849, when it was founded by Charles E. Clarke and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was influenced by the works of Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux. The cemetery was established as a rural cemetery, a style of cemetery that was popularized in the mid-19th century by Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. During the American Civil War, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo served as a burial ground for soldiers from the Union Army, including those from the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry and the 14th Brooklyn Regiment. The cemetery has also been the final resting place for many notable individuals, including Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, and Red Jacket, a prominent Seneca Nation leader who played a key role in the War of 1812 and the Treaty of Canandaigua.

● Geography and Layout

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo is located in the Delaware District of Buffalo, New York, near the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Forest Lawn Drive. The cemetery covers an area of approximately 269 acres, making it one of the largest cemeteries in the United States. The cemetery's layout was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival architectural styles, with influences from High Victorian Gothic and Rustic architecture. The cemetery is surrounded by a stone wall and features several entrances, including the main entrance on Delaware Avenue, which is adorned with a Gates of Heaven sculpture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The cemetery is also home to several notable landmarks, including the Forest Lawn Cemetery Chapel, which was designed by Henry C. Koch and features a stained glass window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

● Notable Interments

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo is the final resting place of many notable individuals, including Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States, and William G. Fargo, co-founder of Wells Fargo. Other notable interments include Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, and Red Jacket, a prominent Seneca Nation leader who played a key role in the War of 1812 and the Treaty of Canandaigua. The cemetery is also the final resting place of several notable Buffalo, New York residents, including Charles B. Norton, a prominent Buffalo, New York businessman and Mayor of Buffalo, New York, and Mary Talbert, a prominent African American educator and Civil Rights Movement leader who worked closely with W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Other notable interments include F. Scott Fitzgerald, the famous American novelist and short story writer, and Ernest Hemingway, the famous American novelist and journalist who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

● Architecture and Landmarks

The architecture of Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival styles, with influences from High Victorian Gothic and Rustic architecture. The cemetery is home to several notable landmarks, including the Forest Lawn Cemetery Chapel, which was designed by Henry C. Koch and features a stained glass window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The cemetery is also home to several notable mausoleums, including the Millard Fillmore Mausoleum, which was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, and the William G. Fargo Mausoleum, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The cemetery's main entrance on Delaware Avenue is adorned with a Gates of Heaven sculpture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which is a notable example of Art Nouveau architecture. The cemetery is also home to several notable sculptures, including works by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, who designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C..

● Operations and Management

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo is operated and managed by the Forest Lawn Cemetery Association, a non-profit organization that was established in 1849. The cemetery is open to the public and offers guided tours, including tours of the cemetery's notable landmarks and interments. The cemetery is also home to several events and programs, including the annual Forest Lawn Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony, which is attended by Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion members. The cemetery is also a member of the National Cemetery Association and the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, and is accredited by the American Cemetery Association. The cemetery's operations and management are overseen by a board of trustees, which includes representatives from the City of Buffalo, the Erie County, New York government, and the New York State government, as well as representatives from local historical societies and preservation organizations, such as the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and the Preservation League of New York State.