A quirky cemetery tour at Woodlawn

This parrot is one of only two animals that were permitted to be buried with their owner. Photo by Claudio Papapietro

By Blaire Briody

Halloween is coming, so what better time could there be for Riverdalians to visit the cemetery right next door?

This Sunday, Woodlawn Cemetery led their first-ever Pet Lovers Tour. Despite the rain and 39-degree wind chill, 13 people showed up to learn about famous animal lovers and their pets.

Susan Olsen played the part of guide at the Woodlawn Cemetery, located across the road from Van Cortlandt Park on Jerome Avenue.

“We have so much to see!” she said to the assembled group.

The first stop is the grand mausoleum of veterinarian Dr. Samuel Johnson. He is the founder of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, which is 30 minutes north of Woodlawn and the oldest pet cemetery in the nation, though not the inspiration for Stephen King’s chilling novel where pets return to life.

Ms. Olsen unlocked the doors of Dr. Johnson’s tomb. There are eight white marble crypts for the bodies, stacked on top of each other on both sides, but there are no pets to be found. Apparently New York State law forbids humans and pets to mingle in the tangible afterlife.

Parrot bones

The next two hours take the group through manicured lawn, giant weepy trees, stately hills and tombstone after tombstone. Highlights of the tour include the grave of Princess Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy. She was the wife of a Russian prince and owner of exotic pets like an alligator and a lion named Goldfleck, whom she used to bring with her when she stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and the Willard Hotel in Washington DC. “I can just imagine her calling to ask, are you pet friendly?” Ms. Olsen laughed.

Then there is the mausoleum of Dr. Clark Dunlop, who rests with his pet parrot (one of the few who skirted the no pets and owners together rule). The parrot’s skeletal remains are on display in a small cast-iron box. A few people on the tour took pictures.

There were many animal lovers present on the tour. One woman was researching pet cemeteries with hopes of building her own in Florida with lots of tropical flowers. “I love cemeteries,” she says. “And pets.”

Titanic survivor

As the wind picked up, Ms. Olsen led the group to one of the last stops, the grave of Henry Sleeper Harper, a titanic survivor. Mr. Harper was a first-class passenger who jumped into a lifeboat with his beloved Pekinese dog. When both Mr. Harper and his dog made it safely back to New York, he was shunned at social gatherings. “People were asking, ‘how could you take someone’s spot for your dog?’” Ms. Olsen said.

When Ms. Olsen was asked how the Pet Lovers Tour came about, she answered, “It was like a scavenger hunt. The records are terrific and we found all these connections between people and their pets. We thought, why not? Everyone has a story and everyone is worth memorializing.”

This is part of the October 22, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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