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Hartsdale Pet Cemetery

Coordinates: 41°01′17″N 73°47′49″W / 41.02139°N 73.79694°W / 41.02139; -73.79694
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Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, October 2012
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery is located in New York
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery is located in the United States
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
Location75 N. Central Park Ave., Hartsdale, New York
Coordinates41°01′17″N 73°47′49″W / 41.02139°N 73.79694°W / 41.02139; -73.79694
Area3.71 acres (1.50 ha)
Built1896 (1896)
ArchitectSamuel Johnson and Emily Berthet; John Logan
NRHP reference No.12000535[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 17, 2012

Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, also known as Hartsdale Canine Cemetery, is a historic pet cemetery located at Hartsdale, Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1896, and contains over 80,000 interments,[2] with 14,000 interment lots and 7,000 memorials. Contributing resources include the groundskeeper's cottage, a house, a public memorial to the dogs of war, a mausoleum, and manmade and natural topographical attributes. It is America's largest and oldest pet cemetery.[3][4]: 3, 24 [5]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.[1]

History

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In 1896, Dr. Samuel Johnson, a veterinarian in New York City, offered his apple orchard in Hartsdale as the gravesite for a grieving client, whose dog had died, as animal burials were not permitted in the city. After recounting the story to a friend who was a journalist over lunch, a news article was published in 1898[4]: 1  and later was picked up by The New York Times on September 3, 1905.[6] In the wake of the ensuing publicity, Dr. Johnson received hundreds of requests for pet burials and set aside more of his land until the Hartsdale Canine Cemetery was incorporated on May 14, 1914.[7]

The War Dog Memorial was erected in 1923, featuring a bronze statue of a German Shepherd dog, wearing a blanket with a Red Cross Insignia. It commemorates "man's most faithful friend for the valiant services rendered in the World War, 1914–1918" and a ceremony is held annually in June to honor service dogs.[8]

Notable interments

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/13/12 through 8/17/12. National Park Service. 2012-08-24. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  2. ^ Keh, Andrew (January 7, 2024). "Who Was the Mysterious Woman Buried Alone at the Pet Cemetery?". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  4. ^ a b Thurston, Mary; McEneny, Daniel; Shaver, Peter (November 2012). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Hartsdale Pet Cemetery". Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  5. ^ "Accompanying site plan". Archived from the original on December 25, 2015.
  6. ^ "Where New York's "Smart Dogs" Find Last Resting Place; A Canine Cemetery of Three Acres in Which Scores of Pets Are Interred -- Hundreds of Dollars Spent on Graves and Gravestones by Their Sorrowing Owners". The New York Times. September 3, 1905. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Our History". Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  8. ^ Charitan, Alexandra (May 10, 2019). "At America's first pet cemetery, beloved animals—from lizards to lions—find a peaceful resting place". Roadtrippers magazine. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
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Media related to Hartsdale Pet Cemetery at Wikimedia Commons