Ferncliff Cemetery

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Secor Road at Ferncliff Cemetery

Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1903, and is non-sectarian. Ferncliff has three beautiful community mausoleums, a crematory, a small chapel, and a main office located in the rear of the main building. The Ferncliff Mausoleum, aka "The Cathedral of Memories," is the cemetery's oldest mausoleum and was constructed in 1928. It has classic architecture, but the corridors are dark without glass panes to admit natural light. Judy Garland, Ed Sullivan, and Joan Crawford are three of the most famous interments in the main mausoleum.

The Shrine of Memories is Ferncliff's second mausoleum and was constructed in 1959. "Shrine of Memories" is a more contemporary structure than "Ferncliff Mausoleum." It has many panes of glass to admit natural light, and there is a large frieze of Christopher Columbus in the main hall of the building. Basil Rathbone is one of the most famous interments in "Shrine of Memories."

Rosewood is Ferncliff's most recently completed community mausoleum, having been constructed in 1999. Rosewood is the ultimate mausoleum for sheer beauty, contemporary design, and the natural decor of sunlight passing through glass panes. Aaliyah is the most famous interment in Rosewood.

It is interesting to note that Ferncliff Cemetery has the only crematory in Westchester County, New York, and performs approximately 10% of the cremations in New York State. Due to local ordinances, no additional crematories can be constructed in Westchester County.

Ferncliff has a very small chapel that can be setup for any kind of religious service. The chapel, main office, and cremation ovens are all located in the rear of the main building.

Ferncliff Cemetery is world famous for its three community mausoleums, but the cemetery is also known for its in-ground burials in sections located in front of the mausoleums. Ferncliff is one of the very few cemeteries that does not permit upright headstones in its outdoor plots. All outdoor grave markers are flush with the ground. This feature facilitates maintenance of the cemetery grounds.

One of the most desirable and pleasant aspects of Ferncliff is the fact that the cemetery is located in a very quiet and serene residential neighborhood. Secor Road is an east-west thoroughfare of light residential traffic. There are no commerical buildings, malls, stores or commercial traffic in the neighborhood. This feature is very unusual for lower Westchester County, and Ferncliff Cemetery is located in the ideal place for people who desire quiet meditation when they visit the final resting places of their loved ones.

Ferncliff Cemetery is a non-profit, non-sectarian facility that is a very desirable final resting place for people from all walks of life.

Notable interments, burials, and cremations include:

Addyman, Frank H. (1884-1934) Former Mayor of Ardsley
Althouse, Paul S. (1889-1954) Opera Singer
Archer, Harry (1886-1960) Composer "I Love You"
Arlen, Harold (1905-1986) Composer "Over The Rainbow"
Armour, Thomas (Tommy) (1895-1968) Hall of Fame Professional Golfer
Auer, Leopold (1845-1930) Violinist
Austin, Albert Elmer (1877-1953) U.S. Congressman - House of Rep. (CT)
Baer, Arthur "Bugs" (1886-1969) Journalist
Baldwin, James (1924-1987) Novelist, Essayist
Bordoni, Irène (1895-1953) Broadway Actress - "Paris"

The main Ferncliff Mausoleum

Barthelmess, Richard Semler (1895-1963) Actor
Bartók, Béla (1881-1945) Composer, Pianist, Scholar (remains moved in 1988 to Farkasreti Cemetery in Budapest, Hungary)
Beard, Charles (1874-1948) Educator, Historian
Beard, Mary (1867-1958) Historian
Billingsley, Sherman (1900-1966) Nightclub owner ("Stork Club"), Ex-bootlegger
Biow, Milton (1892-1976) Advertising Genius
Bloch, Ray (1902-1982) Musician, Songwriter
Booth, Ballington (1857-1940) Social Reformer "Volunteers of America"
Booth, Maud Charlesworth (1865-1948) Co-founder of Volunteers of America
Bordoni, Irene (1895-1953), singer, Broadway actress
Boswell-Leedy, Connee (1907-1976) Singer
Browning, Frances Heenan "Peaches" (1910-1956) Actress

The main gates at Ferncliff

Caesar, Adolph (1933-1986) Actor "A Soldiers Story"
Calder, A. King (1898-1964) Actor "Lieutenant Grey"
Calloway, Northern J. (1950-1990) Actor "David" on "Sesame Street"
Cardillo, Salvatore (1880-1947) Composer
Carnegie (Zanft), Hattie (1856-1956) Dress Designer
Carvel, Thomas (1906-1990) Founder of Carvel Ice Cream
Chiang, Madame Kai-Shek (1897-2003) First Lady of the Republic of China
Christians, Mady (1900-1951) Actress
Coppola, Michael (1900-1966), Mafioso, inspired a relative to make a movie
Cores, Alexander (1900-1994) Violinist Dorian String Quartet
Crawford, Joan (1908-1977) Actress " Mildred Pierce"
Damerel, Myrtle "Vail" (1888-1978) Myrt & Marge Vail Radio Show
de Putti, Lya (1899-1931) Noted Silent Screen Actress
de Vecchi, Dr. Paolo (1847-1931) Italian American Philanthropist
Dohahue, Jack (1888-1930) Actor, Theatrical
Duke, O.L. (1953-2004) actor
Feuermann, Emmanuel (1902-1942) Cellist
Fick, Donna Damerel (Marge Vail) (1912-1914) Myrt & Marge Vail Radio Show
Fields, Lew (1867-1941) Vaudevillian, Comedian
Fokine, Michel (1880-1942) Ballet Choreographer
Freed, Alan (1921-1965) Radio DJ, "The Father of Rock & Roll"
Fuleihan, Anis (1900-1970) Noted Composer, Pianist & Conductor
Furness, Betty Midgley (1916-1994) Actress, Consumer Advocate, Commentator
Garland, Judy (1922-1969) Singer, Actress
Gunther, John, Jr. (1929-1947) Son of John Gunther
Hammerstein Oscar II (1895-1960), composer, lyricist
Harris, Gordon L. (1893-1958) Founder of Ferncliff Mausoleum
Hart, Moss (1904-1961) Playwright, Director
Haughton, Aaliyah (1979-2001) R&B Singer, Actress
Irene Hayes (1896–1975) a Ziegfeld girl and business woman who owned Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe, a leading Manhattan florist and Gallagher's Steak House
Henderson, Helen A. (1897-1988) Ziefeld Follies
Henson, Jim (1936-1990) Muppets Creator
Horney, Karen (1885-1952) Psychiatrist
Hunter, Alberta (1895-1984) Blues Singer, Songwriter
Kern, Jerome (1885-1945) Composer
Koo, VK Wellington (1888-1985) Diplomat, Stateman
Kung, Hsiang-His (1881-1967) Minister of Finance & Industry - China
Lorne, Marion (1885-1968) Actress "Bewitched, Aunt Clara"
Mabley, "Moms" (1899-1975) Comedian
Malik El-Shabazz, El-Hajj (1925-1965) Civil Rights Leader known as "Malcolm X", born Malcolm Little.
Mancuso, Francis X. (1887-1970) Supreme Court Judge (NY)
Marlowe, Hugh (1911-1982) Actor - "All About Eve"
Maxwell, Elsa (1883-1963) Society Leader
Mizell, Jason "Jam Master Jay" (1965-2002) Rap Star, Disc Jockey
Monk, Thelonius (1920-1982) Jazz Pianist, Composer
Muhammed, Khalid A. (1949-2001) Civil Rights Activist
Munson, Ona (1910-1955) Actress - "Gone With the Wind, Belle Watling"
Nordstrom, Dagmar, (1903-1976), pianist, composer, one of The Nordstrom Sisters
Oberhardt, William (1882-1958) Artist, Portrait Painter, Illustrator, Sculptor
Passannante, William F. (1920-1996) State Assembly (NY)
Potts, David Matthew (1906-1976) U.S. Congressman, House of Rep. (NY)
Powell, James (1949-1964) Folk Figure
Rank, Otto (1884-1939) Psychiatrist
Rathbone, Basil (1892-1967) Actor - "Sherlock Holmes"
Revson, Charles (1906-1975) Founder of Revlon Cosmetics
Revson, Douglas (1941-1967) Racecar Driver
Revson, Peter (1939-1974) Racecar Driver
Robeson, Paul (1898-1976) Social Reformer, Singer, Athlete, Actor
Rockefeller, Nelson (1908-1979) Governor of New York, 41st Vice President of US
Romberg, Sigmund (1887-1951) Composer
Sands, Diana (1934-1973) Acclaimed African-American Actress
Sealy, Malik (1970-2000) NBA Player
Shabazz, Betty (1936-1997) Philosopher, Leader, Wife-Malcolm X
Shor, Bernard "Toots" (1903-1977) Restauranteur
Soglow, Otto (1900-1975) Author, Cartoonist, New Yorker Magazine
Soong, T.V. (1894-1971) "Financier, Diplomat, Chairman of National Bank of China"
Steele, Alfred (1904-1959) Businessman, Board Chairman of Pepsi, Married to Joan Crawford
Sturges, Preston (1898-1959) Writer
Sullivan, Ed (1918-1974) Entertainer
Taranda-Arlen, Anya (1915-1970), model, showgirl
Trilling, Lionel (1905-1975) American Literary Critic
Tyler, Judy Hess (1933-1957) Actress - "Howdy Doody"
Ulric, Lenore (1892-1970) Actress
Veidt, Conrad (1893-1943) Actor, "Casa Blanca"
Vine, Billy (1915-1958) Actor, Comedian "The Lucky Stiff"
Wall, Alexander (1884-1946) Historian, notable Director of the New York Historical Society
Walburn, Raymond (1887-1969) Actor - "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town"
Warfield, David (1866-1951) Actor
Waterman, Frank (1869-1938) Founder of Pen Company
Woolrich, Cornell (1903-1968) Author, Screenwriter
Young, Whitney M. Jr. (1921-1971) Social Reformer, National Urban League