Fort Hill: Building on memories
Fort Hill Cemetery Association was founded on May 15, 1851 by William Beardsley, George Hatch, Thomas How, Jr., Michael Myers, Hugo Rathbun, Josiah Strain, George Underwood and John Watrous. The group wished to acquire land for a new cemetery as the existing North Street Cemetery had reached capacity.
How and Hatch conveyed the 22-acres for the new cemetery to the Association for $1 and other considerations. The land had attracted the attention of the community due to its historic value, elevation and natural slopes, majestic trees and central location.
The site of Fort Hill was originally a fortified village of the Cayuga Indians, who lived there for 400 years after defeating the Alleghan Indians in the mid 16th century. Most historians believe the fort was built by the Cayugas during the many tribal wars preceding the establishment of the Iroquois Confederacy. After the founding of the Confederacy, the wars ceased and the Cayugas left to seek new homes. The fort soon fell into decay and today, little remains to indicate its original outlines.
In the summer of 1851, the Fort Hill Cemetery Association constructed Logan Monument in honor of Logan, celebrated chief of the Cayugas. The obelisk, supposedly erected on the site of an ancient Indian altar, is made of native stone and stands 56 feet in height. It was paid for by contributions of Auburn residents. Fort Hill Cemetery was formally dedicated on July 7, 1852.
Over the years, a number of additional memorials have been established throughout the cemetery. Bradley Memorial Chapel and tower, a gift of Jane Loomis Bradley in memory of her husband, Silas, was completed in 1893. The chapel is non-denominational and available to all plot owners without charge. An excellent example of the work of noted architect and native Auburnian Julius Schweinfurth, the chapel is modeled after an English country church in Cornwall. Mrs. Bradley died before construction began; however, in her will she left $25,000 to build the chapel and provide a permanent maintenance fund. Bradley Memorial Chapel was substantially restored in 1986.
Fort Hill Cemetery’s office and administration building is also of Gothic architecture and complements Bradley Memorial Chapel. It was given by the late Mrs. David Osborne and completed in 1928.
Underwood Memorial Gate, which opens onto Fitch Avenue, was the gift of the late Mrs. Archie Andrews, Mrs. Palmer Sabin and Morgan Underwood. It was given in memory of their father, the late J. Platt Underwood, and completed in 1930.
Schwartz Gate, which also opens onto Fitch Avenue, was given in 1976 by Herman and Margaret Schwartz in memory of their parents, Samuel and Bertha Schwartz and Cuyler and Margaret Blessing.
In 1936, an additional 16 acres to the east of the original cemetery were purchased. This was the largest land purchase by Association, increasing the cemetery to 52 acres.
Fort Hill’s Jewish section, located near Underwood Gate, was opened in 1951.
The cemetery’s roads were paved in 1988 with the aid of a grant from the Emerson Foundation and Herman Schwartz. A new fence was constructed around the perimeter of the cemetery in 1997. Oak View, a new section of the cemetery, was opened in 1998.
Since its establishment, Fort Hill Cemetery has become the final resting place for over 20,000 individuals.