Locust Valley Cemetery

Designed over 100 years ago by the Olmsted Brothers, the Locust Valley Cemetery is recognized in the archives of the Smithsonian Garden Club of America Collection. Incorporated in 1917, the Cemetery remains open and active as a private non denominational final resting place – welcome and open to all.

Locust Valley Cemetery’s transition from local burying ground to incorporated cemetery was overseen by board members who lived in homes designed by the day’s preeminent architects and landscape designers such as Richard Morris Hunt, Stanford & White, Beatrix Farrand, and Ellen Biddle Shipman. 

The Board chose the Olmsted Brothers firm in the late 1920s to design newly acquisitioned sections. The planning and implementation was overseen by Carl Rust Parker (1882-1966). Parker graduated Phillips Academy in 1901 and spent most of his professional career working for Olmsted Brothers, as draftsman, planting designer, and field supervisor.

Many of the shrubs and trees were locally sourced from Lewis & Valentine in Brookville and Hicks Nurseries in Westbury and were selected with an eye toward their full growth. All were indigenous to the American northeast. Specimen trees are the Cemetery’s focal point, valued for their beauty and longevity. Color abounds on interior walkways with azaleas, rhododendrons, and holly. They’re perennial berries and blooms provide borders for family plots, and a backdrop for seasonal annual plantings. 

The caretakers lodge was designed by Bradley Delehanty, who designed many of the area’s private homes and public buildings (L.V. Fire Department, Buckram Road and Matinecock Bank Building, Forest Avenue). Collaboration with the building architect often was a key part of the Olmsted Brothers planning process.

The foundation of the Olmsted Brothers remains today, interpreted by Innocenti & Webel in the recent additions. The LVCA board is committed to preserving its Olmsted heritage and maintaining a natural woodland sanctuary.