Greenridge Cemetery Historic Overview
Few cemeteries, connected with places similar to Saratoga Springs, contain the remains of so many illustrious dead as does Greenridge. The inscriptions would themselves be historical. There are names of poets, statesmen, jurists, philanthropists, and respected businessmen. Here are racing notables, Whitney, Hildreth, Veitch, Ensor, and Luther along with some other prominent names such as Brackett, Mabee, Walbridge, and Dowd (the person who first conceived Standard Time).
The land occupied by the oldest portion of the cemetery was part of a farm owned by Mrs. Mary Avery, the widow of a soldier in the Revolutionary War. When the cemetery opened in 1844, the villagers thought they would have plenty of room, but within thirty years all of the lots had been sold including the northeast corner of the cemetery, which is an acre or more of ground known as the Catholic section. Although there are many graves bearing dates prior to 1844 (many bodies were moved in, including several American Indians), the first Saratogian buried here was Colonel William Leete Stone in that year. The new part of the cemetery was first owned by brothers James and Thomas Marvin, and later went to their children in the Gage and Sackett families. Greenridge has operated as an Association since 1880 and is non-sectarian. The board of Directors governs the operation and also oversees the development of the new expanding areas containing mounds, trees, and the burial spaces available for sale to future generations. |
History
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