Oak Lawn Cemetery
Cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oak Lawn Cemetery is a cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut.
| Oak Lawn Cemetery | |
|---|---|
Oak Lawn Cemetery, from Mary Tyler Moore's grave. | |
 Interactive map of Oak Lawn Cemetery | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1865 |
| Location | 1530 Bronson Road, Fairfield, Connecticut |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 41°09′50″N 73°16′26″W |
| Size | <100 acres |
| No. of interments | <10,000 |
| Website | https://www.oaklawnct.com/ |
| Find a Grave | Oak Lawn Cemetery |
History
In 1864, the Connecticut General Assembly authorized Captain Jonathan Godfrey to purchase twelve acres near Bronson Road for "no more than $12,000". On December 29, 1865, the Oak Lawn Cemetery Association was incorporated.[1] The oak was regarded as a symbol of immortality in the 19th century and there was a white oak tree across the street from the parcel at Bronson Street.[1][2] Captain Edwn Sherwood served as the first president of the Oak Lawn Cemetery Association from 1865 to September 1886.[1]
Sturges Ogden was charged with the care of the white oak in 1818. The David Ogden House was renovated in 1935 and opened to visitors to the cemetery.[3][4]
In 1866, sixteen people were buried at Oak Lawn. In 1867, 46 people were buried. More than half of the first 170 burials were transferred from the West Burying Ground.[1] As of 1881, there were 435 burials at Oak Lawn.[5]
As of May 2006, Oak Lawn Cemetery includes the remains of "nearly 10,000 people" and was "almost one hundred acres".[1] As of 2015, the cemetery had over 1,200 veterans remains.[2]
In 2021, a memorial of two granite towers on top of a pentagon granite structure was built in honor of 9/11 victims.[6]
Notable burials
- Hugh D. Auchincloss Sr. (1858–1913), merchant and businessman[7]
- Frederic Bronson (1851–1900), lawyer[8]
- Mario Dal Fabbro (1913–1990), sculptor, furniture designer, and author[9]
- Michael J. Daly (1924–2008), U.S. Army officer and Medal of Honor recipient[10]
- Charles I. DeBevoise (1872–1958), U.S. Army officer and Distinguished Service Medal recipient[11]
- John H. Esquirol (1900–1970), bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut[12]
- Mary Tyler Moore (1936–2017), American actress[13]
- Jason Robards (1922–2000), American actor[13]
- James C. Shannon (1896–1980), judge and governor of Connecticut[14]
- Franco Ventriglia (1922–2012), opera singer[15]
- Mabel Osgood Wright (1859–1934), American author[16]
