Cypress Hills National Cemetery
Why it's listed
Cypress Hills National Cemetery occupies a site on Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn, with two further burial areas, the Union Grounds and the Mount of Victory Plot, located within the neighboring private Cypress Hills Cemetery. Established in 1862, it contains more than 18,000 graves. Among those buried are 488 Confederate prisoners of war, veterans of the War of 1812, and 24 Medal of Honor recipients. The grounds include a brick lodge built in 1887 to a design by Montgomery C. Meigs, whose L-shaped plan, multiple gables and slate roof recall the Queen Anne style rather than the Second Empire lodges typical of the period. A limestone rostrum from 1939, ornamental iron gates from 1886 and five commemorative monuments add to the site, including memorials to French sailors of World War I and to British sailors lost in 1783. The cemetery was recognized for its military associations and its architecture, with 1854 to 1939 as the period of significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination finds it significant under Criteria A and C, with Military and Architecture as areas of significance. It holds Union and Confederate dead, War of 1812 veterans, Medal of Honor recipients and other notable burials. Its 1887 lodge, designed by Montgomery C. Meigs, departs from the usual Second Empire lodge design.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 97001439, listed November 13, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 625 Jamaica Ave., Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | November 13, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001439 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1854-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Meigs, Montgomery C. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to new burials in 1954 except in occupied and reserved graves; interments in those graves continue. The lodge is leased to a local nonprofit and used as an office, meeting room and museum. |
| Acreage | 18.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.69072, -73.88013 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 97001439.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5200340
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.