Hillside Cemetery
Why it's listed
Hillside Cemetery occupies about 52 acres on a south-facing hillside in southeastern Middletown, Orange County. It was organized in 1860 under New York's rural cemetery law, and Calvert Vaux, a noted landscape designer, prepared its plan in 1861. Winding roads and paths follow the natural contours, creating rounded burial sections among bluffs, lawns, a brook tributary, ponds and planted trees. The consecration took place on August 8, 1861, though Vaux's planned observation tower was never built. The grounds hold several thousand graves with mausolea, obelisks, allegorical statues of Hope and sarcophagus-style monuments that show Victorian tastes in funerary art. Burials from the early settlement burying ground were moved here in 1871. A ca.1930 Gothic Revival-inspired stone office building at the entrance now serves as a gate and grounds keeper house. The original layout remains largely intact, and the cemetery was recognized for its landscape design and funerary art.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a largely intact mid-nineteenth-century rural cemetery design and an early landscape work of Calvert Vaux. Its winding roads, lobular burial sections, ponds and plantings express the Picturesque aesthetic. It also holds a representative collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth century funerary art, and it is the only rural cemetery in Middletown.
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 94001027, listed September 7, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Mulberry St., Middletown |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | September 7, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001027 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1861-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Vaux, Calvert, Architect |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an active cemetery; the ca.1930 stone office building was renovated in 1990 and now serves as a gate and grounds keeper house. |
| Acreage | 52 |
| Coordinates | 41.44277, -74.42961 (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 94001027.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1618821
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.