Oakwood Cemetery
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Oakwood Cemetery covers 325 acres of rolling highland on an escarpment above the Hudson River in northeast Troy, New York. Its winding avenues, man-made lakes, mature shade trees and rare plantings create a park-like landscape that also served visitors seeking recreation. The grounds hold more than 55,000 graves, twenty-four private mausolea, two chapels and several service buildings. Architecture ranges from the Greek temple form of the Sage mausoleum to the Egyptian Revival Green Vault. Notable buildings include Henry Dudley's English Gothic Warren Chapel of 1860, an 1884 Queen Anne lodge, and the Richardsonian Romanesque Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel and Crematorium of 1887-89. Monuments include the 75-foot General Wool obelisk, moved into place on rollers. Many figures from Troy's history are buried here, among them Samuel Wilson, known as Uncle Sam, educator Emma Willard and ironmaker John A. Griswold. Remains from the city's first burying ground were also moved here in 1869.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the cemetery as significant for its landscape architecture, its architecture and sculpture, and the many prominent historical figures buried there. Buildings by Henry Dudley and by Albany architects Fuller and Wheeler, along with varied mausolea and monuments such as the General Wool obelisk, illustrate Victorian and Edwardian taste. Burials include Samuel "Uncle Sam" Wilson, Emma Willard and John A. Griswold.
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 84000021, listed October 4, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101st St., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | October 4, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000021 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | J.C. Sidney (keeper's house); Fuller, Wheeler, and Prescott of Albany (office and lodge); Fuller and Wheeler (Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel and Crematorium); Henry Dudley of New York (Warren Chapel) |
| Architectural style | Greek, Roman and Gothic Revival; Romanesque; Egyptian Revival; Palladian; Queen Anne; Italianate; and Eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Art, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent; the cemetery remains in use, though the Geer Greenhouse is quite deteriorated and may be demolished. |
| Acreage | 325 |
| Coordinates | 42.76377, -73.66835 (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 84000021.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7074293
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.