Oakwood Cemetery, Troy

The historic Oakwood Cemetery was designed in the 1840s by architect John C. Sidney making this cemetery over 180 years old. In the late 1880s, Hannah and William S. Gardner, wealthy citizens of Troy, constructed The Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel and Crematorium as a memorial to their only son, who had died tragically young. The cemetery underwent its most significant development in the late 19th century under Superintendent John Boetcher. He incorporated rare foliage into the grounds and executed the landscape design laid out by J.C. Sidney. Oakwood was the fourth rural cemetery opened in New York. This large cemetery covers over 350 acres and has over 60,000 graves. Oakwood Cemetery became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.