FACSI graphic

FRIENDS of ABANDONED CEMETERIES

of STATEN ISLAND

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Staten Island, N.Y. 10301

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DICK DICKENSON
President

MARJORIE JOHNSON
Treasurer

FREDERICK CRANE
Vice Pres. & Secretary

 

LEONARD ROBUSTO
Counsel/Membership

 

PEARSE O'CALLAGHAN (1921-1995) Founder

(Org. 1982; Inc. 1983, with Non-Profit, Tax Exempt Status)


Vol. 19~No. 2

F. A. C. S. I. NEWSLETTER

October, 2002


 

CONTENTS

1. Fountain Cemetery, a continuing cleanup and renewed interest

2. New Fence at Sylvan Cemetery - with sign

3. Civil War Veterans Burials

4. Merrell Cemetery receiving new attention from relatives

5. Donations received

6. Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery-a burials listing, and entries in the Internet

7. Silver Mount Cemetery - Carla Bonner and Pat Barry

8. Circa 1912 Map of Fountain and Staten Island Cemeteries

9. Discovery of Spring 1997 FACSI Newsletter

fountain cemetery

A recent article in the Staten Island Advance about the work that has been and is still needed at the Fountain Cemetery featured RICK MUNDY. It also inspired a number of volunteers to call in. We were not then ready with a cleanup date, but have since determined that volunteers are welcomed every Saturday until it snows. The Fountain Cemetery entrance is at the entrance of Tompkins Pl. and Ct. connecting with Van St. in West Brighton, and can found behind Rogers Survey off Richmond Terrace. While named for the prominent FOUNTAIN Family, at the entrance plot, it is the DANIEL PELTON Family Monument, and the famous son-in-law, General NAPOLEON DUFFIE, of Civil War fame that is the main attraction to Civil War buffs.

civil war veterans burials

On a slightly different note, Fountain Cemetery documents belonging to the family of AL DUVAL has been loaned to us through RICK MUNDY. The thick dossier consists chiefly, but not solely, of the times and burial places of Union veterans of the Civil War, especially the Richmond County Post #524, G.A.R. (Grand Amy of the Republic). To alphabetically reproduce that list in time for a Memorial Day edition of this newsletter, we could use the help of someone to create a database. Other papers in this collection consist of obituaries, notices of 19th - 20th Century G.A.R. Memorial Day Parades and some contemporary property notices. Again, THANKS to AL DUVAL and to RICK MUNDY!

sylvan cemetery fence

A high note of appreciation to our Counsel, LENNY ROBUSTO, for the application that succeeded in acquiring grant funds from the Borough President's Office. The funds made it possible for our Vice President, FRED CRANE, to order a new fence and sign erected on the Victory Boulevard side of the Sylvan Cemetery in Travis. The cemetery is about a block from the Victory Blvd entrance to the UA theaters. The fence will not erase the vandalism that has gone on in the cemetery, but may deter future vandalism and makes the lot look like it is cared for. The sign identifies the presence of a sacred resting place.

merrell cemetery

MURIEL MERRELLHARVEY, the sister of Pvt. JOSEPH F. MERRELL JR. recently died. Her obituary was in the Staten Island Advance of Tuesday, June 18, 2002. Joseph Merrell was Staten Island's Posthumous World War II Medal of Honor winner. Their grandfather and other relatives are buried in the Merrell Cemetery and Mrs. Harvey took an interest in it.

donations

Substantial welcomed donations have come with letters from JOSEPH O'ROURKE, Quartermaster, VFW Post 5090-Andersen-Lagano: and Captain JAMES R. ANDERSON, USN. Retired of Bonita CA. Many thanks!

snug harbor burials

BEVERLY MULLIGAN, of Randall Manor, made the summer of 2002 a memorable one for all of us who read this newsletter. She took the summer to research the records of Snug Huber Cultural Center and the Luce Library for burials in the Snug Harbor Cemetery next to Allison Pond in Randalls Manor. In all she found hundreds of names. The records show burials in other cemeteries on Staten Island as well.

A reply from PATRICK AUSBAND, Executive Director of Sailors Snug Harbor in Sea Level North Carolina evoked a figure of some 7,000 burials on their records to be followed up on. THANKS BEVERLY!

(See also Ancestry.com for SSH) https://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1186.asp

silver mount cemetery

This editor met with Mrs. CARLA BONNER, the former 1st president of the reorganized board of Silver Mount Cemetery to tender a copy of the 1866 Incorporation-containing the name of SAMUEL COOPER, the first president of the Silver Mount Cemetery. The cemetery is struggling while planning an expansion to meet their needs.

On an adjacent page is a photo of a Curtis H.S. reunion. The photo captured our own PAT BARRY. One of the many things that Pat is known for is for arranging perpetual care for the Silver Mount burial place of MARY EWING OUTERBRIDGE (d. 1886) the Founder, in 1874, of American lawn tennis. She is buried with her parents who are also the parents of EUGENIUS OUTERBRIDGE, first Chairman of the Port of New York Authority for whom the Outerbridge Crossing is named.

spring 1997 facsi newsletter

An unpublished copy of the Spring 1997 FACSI Newsletter was found and is being combined with this issue. It was the first newsletter by the guest editor DORIS LANE. TOM MURPHY, her boss at United Federation of Teachers supported her FACSI work. We are grateful to him and well as members of her family who also gave financial support to FACSI while Doris was producing the FACSI newsletter. At a later point the work apparently consumed her energies and she was unable to continue.

This 1997 publication highlights the interest in her ancestral connection to the Voorleezer's Cruser family and whose North-shore home is a city landmark.

FACSI newsletter Spring 1997.

Vandalism at Baron Hirsch Cemetery

The disease of vandalism has been visited upon Baron Hirsch Cemetery again, as it has many times before. It is a curse that won't go away until we find the guilty persons each time it happens. Since a wall is too expensive, and the cost of additional guards is also prohibitive, we propose installation of extensive camera surveillance with monitors and connection to the police precinct.