Buried deep within the landscape of Brooklyn and Queens lies Cypress Hills. It is more than just a neighborhood. It is a testament to history. It whispers stories of lives lived and sacrifices made.
Cypress Hills is a subsection of East New York in Brooklyn. It sits north of City Line. It lies south of Cypress Hills Cemetery. This northeastern corner of Brooklyn is bordered by Bushwick to the west. Woodhaven and Ozone Park lie to the east.
Did you know that Cypress Hills got its name from the abundance of cypress trees? The name is taken from Cypress Hills Cemetery. This cemetery was one of the first non-sectarian cemeteries in the outer boroughs.
But there is more to the story of Cypress Hills. Seventeen cemeteries reside here. A glacier stopped here thousands of years ago. It deposited debris. This accounts for the hills of Staten Island and the middle of Brooklyn. It also explains the hills of Queens and Long Island.
Let’s focus on Cypress Hills National Cemetery. It stands as one of the original fourteen National Cemeteries. It is located at Jamaica Avenue and Hale Street. Each of its over 21,000 stones bears a cross. This cross marks the gravestone of a military veteran.
The National Cemetery network was established during the Civil War. Congress authorized the President to purchase cemetery grounds in 1862. These grounds were to be used as national cemeteries. They were for soldiers who died in the service of the country.
Cypress Hills National Cemetery had already been established. It was part of the larger Cypress Hills Cemetery. Additional land was acquired in 1882. Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln aided in this acquisition. He was the son of the President. In 1941, New York State donated its Mount of Victory and Union plots.
Over 7,000 Civil War veterans are buried at Cypress Hills National. This includes both Union and Confederate soldiers. Only Gettysburg and Arlington Cemeteries contain more Civil War veterans. Private Alfred Mitchell was the first Union interment. 22 Medal of Honor awardees rest here.
Three members of the 7th US Calvary are interred at Cypress Hills National. They survived the Battle of Little Big Horn. One was Italian-born bugler John Martin. He had served under Giuseppe Garibaldi. He served in the military for 30 years.
Nine other countries claim interments in the Cemetery. These countries include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain and the U.K.. British Revolutionary soldiers were transferred to Cypress Hills National in 1909.
Cypress Hills Cemetery opened to the public in 1851. The founders wanted to create a scenic place. It would offer privacy and a tranquil setting. The land has ties to American military history. Workers found cannonballs and other Revolutionary War artifacts. They were from the August 1776 Battle of Long Island.
The military section of the cemetery opened in 1862. Cypress Hills was one of fourteen national cemeteries established that year. The National Cemetery started as a small three-acre plot called Union Grounds. Around 3,400 Union soldiers were buried there.
In 1941, the State of New York donated the third piece of the Cypress Hills National Cemetery. Mount of Victory Plot contains less than thirty graves. One notable internment is Hiram Cronk. He was the last surviving member of the War of 1812.
The National Cemetery closed in 1954. There are a total of 21,000 veterans and veteran family members buried. Cypress Hills National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.