In 1853, as small church graveyards became crowded, Evergreen Cemetery was created as a rural, interdenominational burial ground. Its picturesque landscape, designed to preserve the natural terrain and existing trees, reflects a romantic, Victorian view of death.
Today, the cemetery’s expansive park-like grounds double as a nature preserve. Mausoleums and more than 10,000 monuments make Evergreen a virtual museum of funerary art. Special sections, such as the area devoted to Civil War soldiers, illustrate historical and social developments in American history. Drive past the Dayton Avenue entrance to see the English Tudor Chapel, designed in 1932 by Elizabeth architect, C. Godfrey Poggi.
A self-guided tour booklet can be picked up at Woodruff House— Eaton Store Museum or online at ucnj.org/evergreen
Listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places
Operated by Evergreen Cemetery Trustees
Featuring:
• 300-year-old white oak and copper beech trees
• Graves of early Union County pioneers
• Graves of well-known writers, including Stephen Crane, Mary Mapes Dodge and Edward Stratemeyer
• Largest Civil War Veterans section in Union County, and 100-pound Parrott Guns
• Historic Hebrew burial plot, and areas devoted to ethnic groups, including a Gypsy section
For Hours: www.woodruffhouse.org or
call (908) 352-7940 or (908) 353-8828
Tours also available by appointment.