The O'Brien Family

The O'Brien Family. A Family History Carved in Stone. Several generations of an Irish-American clan lie in this family plot. If the monuments seem particularly striking, there's a good reason: The O'Briens designed and sold cemetery monuments on the waterfront. , Nicholas O'Brien Sr. (1882-1881), a native of Cork, Ireland, emigrated to New York City in 1826, where he worked as a stone cutter. Around 1840, he moved to Sing Sing (Ossining) with his wife, Mary; they had three sons: Nicholas Jr., John and Richard, who died at age 12. Nicholas Sr., known as an “eccentric character,” operated a stone yard. The Hudson River Marble Company at 77 Water St. carried stone of all types: slate, granite, marble and blue stone. , Nicholas O'Brien Jr. (1833-1877), the oldest son, specialized in cemetery monuments and headstones. He also designed vaults and cemetery plots, and his work can be seen throughout Dale Cemetery and other cemeteries in the area. As one newspaper put it, “In the laying out and ornamentation of cemetery lots … there are very few, if any, that equal or surpass him.” After Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Nicholas designed the village's acclaimed memorial arch under which Lincoln's funeral train passed. Despite his success, Nicholas – who never married – took his own life in 1877, at age 44. , John O'Brien (1838-1903), the youngest son, and his wife, Ellen, a native of Dublin, had seven daughters over 20 years. Several are buried here, along with their children. In the 1870s, John built three identical Victorian cottages on Ellis Pl. for his daughters Catherine, Margaret and Edith. Catherine, who worked as her father's secretary at the stone yard, died at age 23 of tuberculosis, and Margaret, Edith and their older sister Sarah lived together in one of the houses into old age. Nicknamed the Three Sisters, these charming homes still stand, all in a row.