Green Hill Cemetery
Why it's listed
Green Hill Cemetery occupies about 41 acres on a flat hilltop above the Mohawk River in Amsterdam, New York. A cemetery association formed in 1857 and engaged surveyor and engineer Burton A. Thomas to lay out the grounds in the rural cemetery tradition. The cemetery was dedicated in September 1858. Carriage drives and footpaths follow the natural contours, and mature oaks and ornamental plantings create a park-like setting with views of the valley. About 14,860 burials range from mill workers and domestic servants to leading business figures. Notable features include the Church Street entrance gate, a 120-step stone pedestrian path, a stone receiving vault, circular Civil War veterans' plot, a Spanish American War section, and the Classical mausoleum of carpet manufacturer Stephen Sanford. The grounds hold varied funerary art in limestone, sandstone, marble, granite and bronze. The cemetery was listed for its landscape design and its reflection of Amsterdam's social history, and it remains in use today.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is significant as a highly intact example of Picturesque rural cemetery design, laid out by surveyor/engineer Burton A. Thomas. Its winding drives, plantings, monuments and funerary art reflect Amsterdam's growth from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Its sections and family plots also mirror the city's social and economic structure.
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 05000166, listed March 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Church and Cornell Sts., Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | March 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000166 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1857-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Burton A. Thomas (surveyor) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Landscape Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continues in use as the city's principal non-denominational cemetery; some elements are overgrown and neglected, and vandalism has damaged some monuments. The original Church Street gate is no longer used. |
| Acreage | 41 |
| Coordinates | 42.93665, -74.18363 (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 05000166.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706300
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.