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HISTORIC POINTS OF INTERESTWandering through the cemetery is taking a journey through one hundred years of history. The monuments and stones vary in size and shape from the humble to the grand, the messages from one word to many in languages familiar and foreign but there is a universality that echoes throughout the ages. As we turn a path, climb a hill, or stand by the cemetery's clear running brook, we discover reflections of history and changing attitudes, affirmations of religious belief and statements of underlying love. Take a moment to browse through some points of interest that make Hartsdale Pet Cemetery so special: |
| Geography of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery |
The Oldest Monument
The Cemetery's oldest monument bears the date September 16, 1899. This headstone, placed here just three years after Dr. Johnson's apple orchard began its transformation, is to "Dotty, Beloved Pet of E.M. Dodge, who Died in Her Fourteenth Year." | | The oldest monument in the nation's first pet cemetery was erected for "Dotty".
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The Walsh Mausoleum  | Erected in the early 1900's, the Walsh Memorial
is believed to be the first above-ground pet mausoleum. |
Elaborate funerals and costly monuments have always been rare at Hartsdale. An exception is a monument built a few years before World War I by Mrs M.F. Walsh, the wife of a wealthy New Yorker. Interesting tidbits about this monument: - Cost $25,000 to build. If it were built today it would cost at least four times the original figure
- Weighs fifty tons
- The largest monument ever created at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
The inscription reads: "My Dear Little True-Love Hearts, Who Would Lick the Hand That Had No Food To Offer."
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Centennial Memorial Park 
Dedicated on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery on September 29, 1996, these stately memorials were erected in a special section of the Cemetery. The monument in the center carries an inscription which refers to the transformation of the lovely hillside location from an apple orchard owned by New York City veterinarian, Dr. Samuel Johnson, into what ultimately became not only America’s first but also the country’s most prestigious pet cemetery. The inscription reads as follows: In 1896, a prominent New York City Veterinarian,
Dr. Samuel Johnson, offered his apple orchard, in rural Hartsdale, New York, to serve as a burial plot for a bereaved friend’s dog. That single compassionate act served as the cornerstone
for what was to become America’s first and most
prestigious pet cemetery. Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
Established 1896 Dedicated to the friends of the Peaceable Kingdom in Hartsdale
who have selflessly contributed to the everlasting beauty of
America’s first pet cemetery.
September 29, 1996 Flanking this monument are two six-foot obelisks where Benefactors and Patrons of our Beautification Program may have either their name or their family’s name engraved for posterity (limit to 20 characters). |
The Meserole Monument In 1946, Mrs. Cornelia Polhemus Meserole left ten thousand dollars for the repair and preservation of a monument that was erected for her beloved dogs that were buried at Hartsdale in 1914.
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| Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Motivated by the heroic efforts of those who assisted in the search for survivors of the disastrous 1995 federal office building bombing in Oklahoma City, the directors and staff of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery & Crematory installed a memorial marker located near the famous War Dog Memorial, lauding the canines and their trainers who participated in the rescue mission. New York City Police Officer Michael Berg and his German shepherd, Kane, were on hand to receive a plaque honoring their service during this tragedy. Both were involved in the rescue mission. The marker was dedicated on May 28, 1995 in conjunction with the cemetery's annual War Dog Memorial Celebration to honor all pets who have been of service to all humanity. The monument reads as follows: DEDICATED TO
THE CANINES AND THEIR TRAINERS
WHO SO NOBLY SERVED AS PART OF THE
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE
URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION
IN OKLAHOMA CITY IN APRIL 1995. |  |
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LaMura Mausoleum
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In 2005, a plot-holder purchased and built an above-ground mausoleum located near the Central Avenue entrance of the Cemetery. The mausoleum is the first since the Walsh Mausoleum was erected in 1915. Made of the finest Barre Vermont granite and weighting in excess of five tons, the mausoleum was designed and built by Peacock Memorials in Valhalla, New York. The construction was completed within approximately one month. The mausoleum rests on a foundation that is seven feet deep and is reinforced with 1,500 pounds of stainless steel marine-grade rebar with eight and one-half cubic yards of concrete. The mausoleum, bearing the name, "Sandy," comes complete with an ornate bronze door made of ninety percent copper. The interior is highly polished granite and contains an inscription with gold leaf lettering.
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