Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery
Why it's listed
Tucked behind a church on 96th Street in Woodhaven, Queens, this half-acre family cemetery was established in the early 1790s when the Wyckoff and Snediker families each deeded a strip of farmland along their shared boundary. It holds 136 marked graves of members of those families and other local Dutch families, with dates from 1793 to 1892. Early markers are rough fieldstone carved with initials, followed by three-lobed sandstone tablets, brownstone and marble stones, and one large granite monument. Inscriptions and carved motifs such as willows, roses and palm branches show how a rural Dutch Reformed community gradually moved toward mainstream American customs. The site has no street frontage and is surrounded by backyards of houses built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was neglected until a church acquired it in 1963, after which volunteers cleaned and repaired it. It is one of few surviving settlement-era family burial grounds in Queens.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is argued to be significant under Criteria A and C for its link to the early Dutch settlement and growth of Woodhaven. It also holds a collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century funerary art, whose motifs and epitaphs reflect changing religious beliefs and social customs. It is one of a small number of surviving settlement-era family burial grounds in Queens County.
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 01000549, listed May 25, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 85-45 96th St., Woodhaven |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | May 25, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000549 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1793-1892 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a non-active cemetery. Volunteers have cleared vegetation and repaired stones, including a 1998 restoration. All stones and markers are original, and the site retains sufficient integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.69609, -73.84885 (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 01000549.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8039595
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.