Roslyn Cemetery
Also known as: See Also:Toll Gate House
Why it's listed
Roslyn Cemetery occupies about 13 hilltop acres off Northern Boulevard in Roslyn, Long Island. Laid out in 1860 and bounded as it is today since 1864, it is divided into eight sections and holds more than 600 tombstones, including late nineteenth-century zinc monuments and many oversized family plots. Notable features include a 20-foot granite Civil War monument topped by a Union soldier, erected in 1902, and an Egyptian Revival mausoleum completed in 1918 for singer Bessie Abott and her husband. The c. 1860 East Toll Gate House, a board-and-batten structure, stands in the southwest of Section F. The cemetery was listed because eight people of transcendent importance are buried there. They include poet and editor William Cullen Bryant, editor Parke Godwin, author Frances Hodgson Burnett, who wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden, and Christopher Morley, a prominent twentieth-century man of letters whose novels often drew on Roslyn settings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cemetery is significant as the burial place of eight persons of transcendent importance, including poet and editor William Cullen Bryant, author Frances Hodgson Burnett and novelist and editor Christopher Morley. It also holds a Civil War monument, an Egyptian Revival mausoleum and many oversized family plots tied to Roslyn's history.
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 91001534, listed October 28, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Northern Blvd. W of jct. with Glen Cove Rd., Roslyn |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | October 28, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001534 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architectural style | Egyptian Revival (Abott-Story mausoleum); otherwise no architectural classification |
| Areas of significance | Art, Health/Medicine, Literature, Science, Law, Social History, Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a cemetery; Section G is being developed and Section H is barely developed. |
| Acreage | 13 |
| Coordinates | 40.81011, -73.63124 (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 91001534.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7369052
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.