WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 30, 2020 15
Historic Midville crematory honors generations of lives
BY THE OLD TIMER
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
During these challenging times,
the Fresh Pond Crematory in
Middle Village is, regrettably,
busier than it’s ever been.
Many of the thousands of New Yorkers
who have died from complications
of coronavirus during the pandemic
have been brought here for their
remains to be cremated and given to
loved ones. As the number of deaths
surged in late March and early April,
according to published reports, the
crematorium — and others in the
New York City area — was said to be
operating nearly 24 hours a day just
to accommodate the remains being
brought there.
The Fresh Pond Crematory, also
known as the U.S. Columbarium Co.,
has quite a storied history in our city
and community.
Located on Mount Olivet Crescent
between Eliot and Metropolitan
Avenues, the crematory fi rst opened
on Dec. 5, 1885, more than a year
aft er the cornerstone of the massive
brick-and-stone building was laid.
The crematorium was developed on
13 former farmland lots. At the time, it
was the fi rst facility of its kind in New
York state.
Fresh Pond Crematory is located
across the street from Lutheran/All
Faiths Cemetery and just down the
block from Mount Olivet Cemetery.
It was developed at a time when large
portions of Queens were purchased
and redeveloped as burial grounds for
much of the city.
The crematory sits at the crest of a
giant hill overlooking a part of Middle
Village that was once appropriately
known as “Crematory Hill.” It’s generally
considered to be the westward
sloping area generally bounded by
Eliot Avenue, Fresh Pond Road, Metropolitan
Avenue and Mount Olivet
Crescent.
Over the decades, the crematory
has become a fi nal resting place for
thousands of urns containing the
cremains (ashes) of those who have
died through the years. Wings of the
building were added between 1904
and 1929 just to contain the niches
where the urns are kept, as well as
a chapel for prayer services for the
dearly departed.
Walk through the crematory, and
you’ll fi nd memorial spaces featuring
terrazzo fl ooring, stained-glass windows,
grand columns and other ornate
features from a time long ago.
More than 16,000 niches containing
the remains of over 40,000 souls are
within the columbarium — people
of all faiths and backgrounds from
across New York City.
The entrance to the Fresh Pond Crematory in Middle Village, as seen in 2018. File photo/TimesLedger
Among the more famous individuals
who were cremated at Fresh Pond
Crematory were fi nancier J.P. Morgan
and New York Yankees legend Lou
Gehrig.
As time went on, the crematory was
renovated to include special niches
such as the Hall of Serenity and the
Hall of Flowers. A particular niche
serves as a memorial place for families
who have lost an infant.
Following the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001, the crematorium created
a 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial
with a statue depicting a fi refi ghter;
approximately 343 members of the
New York City Fire Department were
lost in the attacks on the World Trade
Center.
The memorial includes fl ag pins for
each person who died in the attacks.
The crematory also hosts an array of
memorial events for holidays such as
Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s
Day. In recent years, it also expanded
to include musical and artistic performances
to promote the site’s history
and preservation.
The crematory has been there
through diffi cult moments for the
family and the city over more than
125 years. Today, as the city battles
the coronavirus pandemic, the staff
and management are still doing what
they do best: providing families with
comfort for their losses and a dignifi
ed sendoff for the departed.
Sources: The May 15, 2018 Ridgewood
Times, the May 8, 2018 TimesLedger,
Fresh Pond Crematory and the Juniper
Park Civic Association.
A beautiful stained-glass window in the chapel of Fresh Pond Crematory.
File photo/TimesLedger
* * *
If you have any remembrances or
old photographs of “Our Neighborhood:
The Way It Was” that you
would like to share with our readers,
please write to the Old Timer, c/o
Ridgewood Times, 38-15 Bell Blvd.,
Bayside, NY 11361, or send an email
to editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com.
Any print photographs mailed to
us will be carefully returned to you
upon request.
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