Historic Cemeteries Struggle To Preserve Their Past And Bury The Future
Vale Cemetery was opened on October 21, 1857 in what was then a portion of the undeveloped outskirts of the City of Schenectady. Vale grew out of the Rural Cemetery movement, a movement that began in the 1830s with the purpose of making cemeteries look like, well not look like cemeteries. Rather than the traditional row and row of graves separated by gravel and marked by similar row after row of headstone, these were replaced with gracefully curving ground features with broad vistas, valleys, lakes, and broad wagon roads. In the Capital District three rural cemeteries were developed: Albany Rural (1844), Oakwood Cemetery in Troy (1848, 3rd largest in the US), and Vale in Schenectady (1857).
Vale was developed as the former Dutch Reformed Church cemetery on Green and Front Streets in the city’s Stockade district became neglected and overrun with weeds. On July 2, 1856, the city goverment decided to use the former hospital farm on Nott Terrace as a 38-acre public cemetery. On June 16, 1857, then Mayor Benjamin V. S. Vedder appointed a committee to oversee the work but decided to abandon the idea and deeded it over to a private organization created by fourteen lot holders and formed the Vale Cemetery Association on February 25, 1858. The 38 acres were purchased by the common council for $800 under the condition that a Potter’s Field also be created to serve the poor. Access to the new cemetery was provided by Dr Eliphalet Nott, the President of Union College who donated an entrance from Nott Terrace into the grounds.
Vale Cemetery presently consists of about 100 acres now near the center of the city. It comprises an irregular outline of parcels that have been added since the inception of the original 38 acres in 1857. The cemetery is a contiguous parcel bounded overall; by State Street Catherin and Moyston Streets on the south-southwest, Nott Terrace on the west/northwest, the top foal steep ridge on the north and Brandywine Avenue on the East/southeast.
Later in 1863, land was purchased from the college creating what is now known as Vale Park and is where the earliest burial sites are located today. In 1879 the Dutch Reformed plot in the Stockade was relocated to Vale. The entire site was excavated and the remains and stones were reinterred.
The present entrance on State Street was donated by the First Reformed Church in 1867. This became and is the formal entrance and was lined with shade tree and was named the Cathedral of Trees. The Superintendent’s house was built in 1889-90 and is located immediately inside the State Street entrance and currently serves as the cemetery’s main office. It was designed by Ogden and Wright, well known Albany architects
Nearby other cemeteries were erected; a catholic cemetery to the east near Swan Street and a Baptist cemetery across the street from the entrance to Vale. Other denominations created cemeteries a few blocks to the south. By 1914, the city had spread east and development - mostly residential – surrounded Vale.
The grounds were originally designed by surveyor Burton A. Thomas and landscape Gardner John Doyle by laying out many winding paths and planting over 1000 trees. Cowhorn Creek, a large stream that ran from the Pine Bush to the Mohawk River, was dammed to provide a lake within the grounds. Additional lands were purchased which now totals approximately 100 acres and holds some 33 000 people many of them notable scientists, politicians, business people and others. You can download a PDF of notables at:
Some of the residents include Ernst Alexanderson, inventor of the TV, fax and radio. My favorite is Charles Steinmetz, the electrical genius and whose grave I adopted. By the way you can adopt a grave by sending a donation to Vale caretakers. Their address is Vale Cemetery, 907 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12307.
Vale Cemetery is guided by a board of dedicated volunteers. At the helm are Dr. Bernie McEvoy and his wife Barbara and they are two of the most hardest working people I know. They are there every day and Bernie can be seen mowing, cutting brush, righting fallen headstones and doing whatever it takes to bring the cemetery up to its original 19th century splendor. They get little credit for their dedication and hard work and struggle to keep the cemetery beautiful. They could use some additional volunteers and financial contributions.
Vale Cemetery was placed on the National Register in 2004 and Bernie applies for grants when available. Each year they have a series of walks by local experts. I usually do the last one in October and we cover everything from the earliest graves to some of the more interesting residents like Silas Watson Ford, a 19th century telegrapher from Troy who was a famous Cambrian Paleontologist during his time, or Moses Viney, a run away slave who worked for Union College’s president Nott. One of Germany’s most prolific authors Amalia Schoppe is buried there and it would appropriate if a local German American association would adopt her grave. A large biography of her was just published in Germany. I try to mow Steinmetz’s grave during the summer and planted some Lilly’s a few years ago. When I was writing in Troy years ago I use to visit Oakwood Cemetery and have lunch with some of the notables buried there. For example, you can read up on one of Vale’s notables, pack a lunch, and go to the site and have lunch. I admit it’s a one-way conversation but you do get to feel like you have a personal connection. Try it and report back.