Oakwood Mortuary Chapel - Syracuse, NY - Cemetery Chapels on Waymarking.com

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The rural cemetery movement in America began with Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston in 1853. Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse was part of this movement in 1859. It was built on farmland beyond the city. The mortuary chapel was built in 1879 for services, to store remains when the ground was frozen and for cremation. An almost identical chapel was designed by Silsbee in 1899 for the Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.

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"the Historic Oakwood Cemetery Preservation Association (HOCPA) organized around the idea of preserving the cemetery, has worked with the owners to maintain the chapel."
"It is a very compelling piece of architecture in a very rare, almost exotic, landscape setting. It is also unique because relatively few structures of this type were ever built. Since the designer of the structure was a very talented one, it is also imbued with a plethora of artistic design touches that are lacking in modern structures. I think that is at this level that the building appeals to people and may be the reason for its salvation."
"It is composed of intricately carved and detailed local limestone and accented with imported granite. The decorative motifs are a playful array of classical, exotic and macabre elements. Spider webs and foliate forms grace the exterior and a large dragon in the form of an “O,” for “Oakwood," graces the pediment at the base of the chapel’s seventy foot tall tower. The interior boasts a high degree of carpentry work with ornamental beams, ceiling and trim that echo forms seen on the exterior of the structure. The floor is part wood and partially laid with art-tiles. At one point, the building was also home to an array of beautiful art glass. "
At the time they hired Silsbee he was a local architect. "Within a few years, Silsbee had achieved national acclaim for his work. His designs were in such high demand that he set up offices in Buffalo and Chicago, moving to Chicago in 1884. He has gone down in the history books because of his association with America’s greatest architect. In 1887, he was the first Chicago architect to give young Frank Lloyd Wright a job."

Date of Chapel Construction: 1879 Denomination of Chapel or Cemetery (if applicable): none Active Chapel?: no Main Construction Material of Chapel: Onondaga limestone Description of Cemetery added in Long Description: Not Listed

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