City of Rochester
News Release
(Monday, June 6, 2011) – Vandals toppled about 70 monuments off of their foundations at the City’s Mount Hope Cemetery over the weekend. Many of the headstones were pushed from their foundations. Two were damaged beyond repair, while others appear to be restorable. Cemetery Manager Jeffery Simmons joined City Department of Environmental Services Assistant Commissioner Mary Gaudioso and other cemetery staff this morning to take inventory of the damage.
“This kind of action is not just property damage, it is a crime against people and families,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “These cowardly acts trample on the memories of loved ones and show disrespect for both people and property. I’ve spoken to Police Chief James Sheppard and asked him to increase police patrols at the cemetery and we will prosecute any offenders we catch to the fullest extent of the law.”
The cemetery currently has a number of restoration and improvement projects going on that staff will have to divert their attention from to devote to righting the toppled headstones. The cemetery is bustling with activity recently, as crews work to repair and restore mausoleums, chapels, foundation walls and roadways on the property. Repair work is also taking place on fencing along Mt. Hope and Elmwood Avenues and there is a project underway for wayfinding and landscape improvements near the graves of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Crews are working on repairing the fallen headstones now.
“The Rochester Police Department is investigating this incident and we will act on all credible information we receive,” said Chief Sheppard. This is the first time vandalism on such a large scale has taken place at the cemetery in nearly 50 years, according to Friends of Mount Hope President Marilyn Nolte. There was evidence that alcoholic beverages were being consumed in the cemetery.
Mount Hope Cemetery is one of the most remarkable Victorian cemeteries in America and consists of 196 acres of lofty hills and picturesque valleys. It is the final resting place of more than 350,000 people and is on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The cemetery also serves as a refuge for joggers, picnickers, bird watchers and history buffs.
-30-
News Media: For more information, contact Ted Capuano at 428-6427.