Island Cemetery Photo Archive
Island Cemetery
Newport’s ‘garden cemetery’ from the 19th century
An outdoor museum of 19th century monuments
created by prominent sculptors of the time
Descriptive information provided by Lew and Trudy Keen.
This life-size bronze, seated winged woman monument, “Angel of Victory” is one of the most noted in Island Cemetery. It was created in 1897 by Oscar Lenz (1873- 1912) who studied under Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Lenz was a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Mary Lawton (1896) was the daughter of real estate mogul Alfred Smith and his wife, Ann.
Many King family members are memorialized on this marker that was designed and built 1876-1878. John LaFarge designed the monument and August Saint-Gaudens executed the design in stone. The subject, “Steps to the Cross” was designated by Mrs. King to recall medieval pilgrimage shrines of Brittany, France. The oak leaves invoke Edward King's favorite tree.
This interesting mausoleum is that of J.K. Sullivan. Island Cemetery has no specific informationabout who designed or built this mausoleum, but it is made of two rough types of stone—one light in color and the other brown. It is the same type of stone used in the Sullivan Building on Bellevue Avenue, for which J.K. Sullivan was the contractor, so he may have been responsible for the design and building of his own family mausoleum. The exact date this mausoleum was installed is not known, but it was definitely prior to Sullivan's death in 1939.
Henry Gurdon Marquand, designed and built by the firm of Hunt and Hunt in 1902-1903. According to the records at Island Cemetery, the granite mausoleum is designed in the form of a classical temple, and appears to be in the Greek style. Marquand was a stockbroker, philanthropist and an art collector. He was one of the founders of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and served as its president from 1889 until his death in 1902.
Oliver Hazard (1785-1819) Oliver Hazard Perry died while serving the country on a diplomatic mission to Venezuela in 1819. His remains were conveyed to Rhode Island in 1826 and originally interred in the Common Burying Ground. Plans started in 1828 to honor his service to the country with a fitting memorial, and the obelisk that stands today was completed in 1843. Perry’s remains were moved to a grave 4 feet south of the monument and marked by two small stones. The obelisk is 21 ft. 8 inches tall and sits on a mound that is 8 feet high. The stone was deemed unable to receive an inscription so the 5 ft. tall marble pedestal was installed at the base to accommodate the wording noted here: Oliver Hazard Perry At the age of twenty-seven, He achieved the victory of Lake Erie. On the north face Born in South Kingston, R.I. August 23, 1785 Died at Port Spain, Trinidad August 23, 1819 Aged 34 years On the west face His remains Were conveyed to his native land In a Ship of War, According to a resolution Of Congress, And here interred December 4, 1826 South side Erected by the State of Rhode Island
The centerpiece of the Norman family burial lot may well be the tallest monument in Island Cemetery. George Norman made a fortune installing utilities in many places including the water system in Newport. This large family lot is centered on the 30+ foot fluted column that terminates with a winged toga-clad angel standing on a capital. Additional classic design elements include garlands of flowers. Table tombs and head and foot stones indicate the burial location of the members of the family.
Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858) is most well-known for his mission that established relations with Japan in 1853. Until this time Japan was isolated from European nations, and his efforts opened trade with the country of Japan. During most of his career, the United Sates was at peace, and he is not known for glory in battle, as is his brother Oliver Hazard Perry. While he did see action during the war with Mexico in the 1840s, Perry made significant contributions to the Navy. Vessels under his command were well- run with an emphasis on proper behavior and good hygiene. He had witnessed early in his career how laxness on ships could lead to sickness and death. Perry was a strong advocate of officer education and proposed a Naval Lyceum. It was established at the Brooklyn Naval Yard in 1833 and may be considered the precursor of the Naval Academy. Perry was very keen on modernizing the Navy fleet to embrace steam rather than wind power and is considered the father of the modern steam Navy. Since the majority of his service occurred during peacetime, Perry nurtured the role the fledgling Navy would play in the world. He, like later officers, served as an early diplomat representing the United States in foreign ports. His ships protected American commercial vessels from pirates.
Henry Ledyard (1812-1880) Richard Morris Hunt was responsible for the design and building of the marker for the Ledyard plot in 1881-82 and for the redesign in 1893. The dark grey granite false sarcophagus was done in the Roman style and elevated on a classical style catafalque. Henry Ledyard was a founder and first president of Newport Hospital.i
August Belmont (1816-1890) This impressive monument was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt in 1890 and completed in May of 1892 (according to cemetery records). The sculpture work was done by Karl Bitter. The monument includes a Greek exedra bench surrounding a Roman triumphal arch which encloses a pink marble sarcophagus covered with palm leaves and olive branches. The arch is supported by Ionic columns and features life-size caryatids. Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, son of August and Caroline Belmont, commissioned the monument from Hunt.
The family monument for the Wetmore plot was designed and built by Richard Morris Hunt in 1873, not long after he completed the redesign of Chateau-Sur-Mer for George Peabody Wetmore. Island Cemetery records describe this as a classical pediment with Roman fasces, a symbol of a magistrate’s power in ancient Rome. Since G.P. Wetmore was a senator and later governor of Rhode Island, the symbols are appropriate. Also included are ribbons indicating victory and a swag of oak leaves for strength.
This Victorian Era grave marker fits the deceased, Clara Moffitt, who died at the age of 25.. The dove descending from heaven with a piece of olive branch signifies that the soul has reached divine peace in heaven. The roses signify love and purity, and the hanging flower buds may symbolize sorrow or a premature death. The back of the stone contains the full name of the deceased and her birth and death dates. The somewhat poetic lines show that the family was a religious one who believed that although they had lost a loved one, they knew that their souls would one day be reunited in heaven.
One of the grandest structures in Island Cemetery is the granite mausoleum constructed for E. Hayward Ferry and his wife, Amelia Parsons Ferry (map AF). The designer is unknown, but the style is definitely Art Deco. Ebenezer Ferry was a prominent New York businessman, who was the vice-president of Hanover Bank in New York for nearly two decades. While in Newport, the Ferris lived at Edgehill, an estate close to that of Mrs. Ferry's sister, Mrs. Arthur Curtiss James.
William Tiffany, a summer resident of Newport and nephew to August and Caroline Slidell Perry Belmont, was one of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders who died of fever and exposure after battles in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. His body, accompanied by Theodore Roosevelt and twelve Rough Riders, was returned to Newport for burial with his family in August of 1898. His marble grave marker was designed by George Champlin Mason Jr. An article in the New York Times explained the symbolism carved into the marker: “The cross for Lieut. Tiffany’s grave suggests the life of promise unfinished, as is shown by the molded or cut work begun, but cut short. The emblematic meanings of the laurel [hero] and oak [strength] add much to the artistic finish. On the top part of the cross the inscription is found, and the military marks “I. K.” and crossed swords, copied just twice the size of those Lieut. Tiffany wore on his hat in the service, and which was loaned the sculptor, Mr. Kelley, by Mrs. Tiffany, the dead officer’s mother. They are surrounded and supported by clouds, and are the gem of the work…On the bottom of the column there is the inscription: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
![Bessie Morgan Belmont was the first wife of August Belmont Jr. She passed
away in Paris, where she had gone to regain her health. Her grave marker is
also made of Rutland marble and is decorated with a wreath “bride roses
[beauty and virtue] and doub](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65ec7e942d482d66755c04ea/389a7690-d77b-4385-83c1-ad15df66fb05/BessieBelmont.jpg)
Bessie Morgan Belmont was the first wife of August Belmont Jr. She passed away in Paris, where she had gone to regain her health. Her grave marker is also made of Rutland marble and is decorated with a wreath “bride roses [beauty and virtue] and double violets” [death too soon] that were sent to the sculptor from the nursery of her husband. On her cross is one word “Devotion,” as she was a very devoted wife and mother.iii This monument was designed by George Champlin Mason, Jr.
Martha Maria Anderson (1803-1880) map MA Martha Maria Anderson, her husband Elbert and other family members are buried in this triangular marble monument. Martha Anderson was a descendant of Abraham Redwood, Ezra Stiles and William Ellery. After she died in 1880, her husband hired George Champlin Mason to design and build this unusual grave marker. Notes from the Island Cemetery records indicate that this was High Victorian Gothic style inspired by the 1872 Albert monument in London and influenced by the 13th century Eleanor crosses.
William Birckhead (1840-1895) At first glance this monument looks like a house or small church. Due to the design of the top (roof of the building) it is referred to as a hip tomb.v There are a few similarly shaped monuments in the Island Cemetery but this one is nicely detailed, in good condition, and executed in granite. Dr. Birckhead lived in a Dudley Newton designed home at 20 Catherine Street. His wife, Sarah, was a daughter of Dr. David King.
Herbert Barnett (1871-1902) This granite monument has a rustic or natural design and features a broken oak branch. The oak symbolizes many things including strength and endurance and the broken branch represents a life ended. The information on the scroll includes the Masonic square and compass symbol.
Charles M. Thurston (1819-1878) According to cemetery records, there are six people buried in this site that resembles a mound of earth that could be called a tumulus. There is no documentation as to why this style of burial was selected, but it is likely the popularity of the side-hill tomb at Mt. Auburn Cemetery inspired Thurston to use this style of tomb. Since the topography of Island Cemetery was flat, a mound was created rather than using the side of a hill. Charles Myrick Thurston (-1844) was a Newport native, successful New York City merchant, active in the New Rochelle Historical Society, and an avid genealogist. His daughter married into the Barrington family (of Philadelphia) and is buried here.
Anna Theresa Downing (1855) The sleeping child was a common image used for children’s graves in the mid to late 1800s. This marble stone is a good example of Victorian sentiment.
18th and 19th Century Photos
Warner Street entrance
Main Gate on Warner Street
Friends' Cemetery
Belmont Chapel postcard
Soldiers' lot in Island Cemetery
Van Zandt Annex
Friends' Cemetery
Old section and Administration Building
Receiving Vault
Oliver Hazard Perry at Monument Way
Belmont Chapel
before the restoration began in 2021 …
Before Restoration
The restoration progresses …
Three years later …
