NEW YORK MARBLE CEMETERY, INC. S E C O N D AVE N UE A BOVE S E C O N D S TRE E T E S TA BLI S H E D 1830 RE STORATION OF TH E GATE S AP RIL , 2 0 0 1 a n y c e m e te rie s a re id e n tifie d b y M th e ir g a te s: v isito rs to Mo u n t Au b u rn in Ca m b rid g e p a ss th ro u g h its fa m o u s E g y p tia n Re v iv a l e n tra n c e , b u ilt in 1 8 43 ; Ric h a rd U p jo h n ‘s Go th ic g a te h o u se a t Gre e n -W o o d in B ro o k ly n h a s b e e n a n a ttra c tio n sin c e its c o n stru c tio n ; th e To k u g a w a sh o g u n s o f se v e ra l g e n e ra tio n s a re in te rre d b e h in d th e o rn a te k a ra -m o n g a te w a y s o f 1 7 th -c e n tu ry Nik k o . Th e se a re a ll c e m e te rie s b u ilt o n a g ra n d sc a le . Th e h a lf-a c re Ne w Y o rk Ma rb le Ce m e te ry , th o u g h le ss g ra n d , still h a s m e m o ra b le g a te s. n th e w e st sid e o f Se c o n d O Av e n u e b e tw e e n 2 n d a n d 3 rd Stre e ts is a 1 0 -fo o t b y 1 0 0 -fo o t a lle y w a y . A p a ir o f h e a v y w o o d e n g a te s w a s o rig in a lly in sta lle d a t th e in n e r e n d o f th e p a ssa g e . Th e n , in 1 8 5 3 , a $ 5 a sse ssm e n t le v ie d o n e a c h v a u lt m a d e p o ssib le so m e o rn a m e n ta l iro n g a te s n e a r th e stre e t. W h e n a n e n d o w m e n t w a s ra ise d in 1 9 0 6 , th e Ce m e te ry w a s in a p o sitio n to a d d a n o th e r p a ir. Th e w o o d e n o n e s w e re d isc a rd e d so th a t th e o ld e r iro n g a te s c o u ld b e m o v e d to th e in sid e , a n d a Co u rte sy o f th e Ne w Y o rk P u b lic L ib ra ry n e w p a ir w a s p la c e d o n th e stre e t. The outer gates as they looked in 1938, before the upper ornamentation was lost. o re c o rd h a s y e t b e e n fo u n d o f N th e b u ild e r o f th e e a rlie r g a te s, No decision has been made on replacing the ironwork above the arch or the urns on b u t w e k n o w th a t th e la te r o n e s w e re the pillars, all of which disappeared long ago. fo rg e d b y th e W illia m R. P itt th The central decoration is not a cherub, but a pair of wings under a scallop shell. In Co m p o site Iro n W o rk s o n W e st 2 4 Christian iconography, the wings represent the soul ascending. The shell has two Stre e t. B o th p a irs w e re d ism a n tle d meanings: it is best known as the symbol of St. James, particularly Santiago de a n d tra n sp o rte d to V e rm o n t la st Compostela, and by extension, pilgrimage, but also represents rebirth, baptism, and D e c e m b e r so th a t B o b B a rre tt, a resurrection. Though the dead could be considered the ultimate pilgrims, the m e ta lw o rk e r in H a rtla n d , c o u ld second interpretation is more likely. re sto re th e m . Th e o u te r g a te s w ill b e b a c k in p la c e b y Ma y 7 ; th e in n e r g a te s w ill fo llo w th is su m m e r. h e Ce m e te ry g a te s a re m a d e fro m b o th c a st iro n a n d w ro u g h t iro n . W ro u g h t iro n is p ro d u c e d b y h e a tin g , re fin in g , a n d T ro llin g th e first p ig iro n fro m a b la st fu rn a c e . Th e p ro c e ss re d u c e s c a rb o n a n d re m o v e s m o st o f th e im p u ritie s. Its fib ro u s n a tu re a llo w s it to b e e a sily h a m m e re d in to sh a p e s. Th e first ru stin g p ro d u c e s sc a le , a p ro te c tiv e film , th a t re d u c e s fu rth e r c o rro sio n . Mo d e rn ste e l is a m ix tu re o f iro n a n d .1 % to 1 .7 % c a rb o n . It ru sts in in c o h e re n t la y e rs w h ic h e a sily fla k e o ff, e x p o sin g fre sh a re a o f th e m e ta l to fu rth e r a tta c k . W ro u g h t iro n w a s la st p ro d u c e d in th e U n ite d Sta te s in 1 9 6 9 , so Mr. B a rre tt h a s b e e n w o rk in g w ith m a te ria l im p o rte d fro m E u ro p e . a st iro n is m a d e fro m p ig iro n b y re m e ltin g a n d p o u rin g it in to m o ld s. It c o n ta in s fro m 2 % to 4% c a rb o n a n d is q u ite C b rittle . Ca st iro n h a s lo n g b e e n th e iro n w o rk e rs‘ c h o ic e fo r re p e titiv e d e c o ra tiv e e le m e n ts b e c a u se th e d e ta il w o rk h a s to b e d o n e o n ly o n c e a n d c a n th e n b e re p ro d u c e d a s o fte n a s n e e d e d . Th e c a stin g p ro c e ss e n ta ils so m e sh rin k a g e , so Mr. B a rre tt m u st p a d o u t h is m o d e ls to c o m p e n sa te .