Menands in Albany County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 10, 2025

1. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite Marker

Inscription.

President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite. . A Fine Farewell as President Chester A. Arthur is Laid to Rest . In 1864, the president's father, Revered William Arthur, purchased a plot for his family in this South Ridge area of Albany Rural Cemetery then known as Sunset Lawn. , The first burial here was that of William Arthur's wife, Malvina Stone Arthur who died in 1869. Her grave and later his were both marked with white marble headstones designed and carve by William Manson. , When Chester Arthur's wife, Ellen Herndon Arthur, died on January 12, 1880, she was buried here in the Arthur family plot where her son, William, and mother, Elizabeth Hansborourgh Herndon, were also interred. To mark his wife's grave, Arthur commissioned a white marble sarcophagus also by Manson. Manson was on of Albany's leading carvers whose works included elements of the New York State Capitol as well as the Colonel John Mills monument and D.D. Tompkins Fire Company memorial at the Cemetery. , When Chester Arthur died in New York City on November 19, 1886, funeral arrangements were made by Mary McElroy who honored her brother's wish to be buried beside his wife here in the Albany Rural Cemetery. Following the funeral at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in Manhattan, Arthur's body was given a military escort to Grand Central Terminal and placed on a special train to Albany. The funeral train was met in Albany by William C. Doane, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, Albany City Mayor John Boyd Thacher, and former Albany Mayor A. Bleecker Banks were they all boarded the train for the final journey to Albany Rural Cemetery. , As President Arthur's funeral procession reached the Cemetery, the prepared gravesite was veiled by an arrangement of palms and ferns and the casket was carried from the hearse by an honor guard. A wreath of white chrysanthemums sent by President Grover Cleveland was placed prominently nearby as the service was conducted by Bishop Doane with President Arthur's family, friends, dignitaries, and a large crowd of mourners in attendance. That following spring, on April 20, 1887, President Grover Cleveland attended a second memorial service which was held for Chester Arthur at the Cemetery. , Beloved Wife "Nell" Remains At His Side . Chester Arthur Proposed to Ellen Lewis "Nell" Herndon in Saratoga Springs. Nell was a refined Southern belle from a prominent Virginian family. They were married in 1859. She died young at 42 yrs-old in 1880 of pneumonia before Chester's presidency. She bore three children; son William (died at 2½ yrs-old), son Chester (Jr.), and daughter Ellen "Nellie" Hansbrough. , A flat slab of marble adjacent to Ellen Arthur's Gothic sarcophagus covers a small vault containing the remains of the president's son, Chester Arthur II, his son's wife Rowena Dashwood, and their son, Chester Arthur III. , With the tragic passing of Chester's wife Ellen, the president's sitter Mary Arthur McElroy was recognized as the unofficial First Lady. Mary Arthur McElroy (1841-1917) acted as "Mistress of the White House" serving proudly as hostess for Arthur's residential social activities and setting the standard for official social events for decades to come. She also took an active role in raising his daughter, Nellie. , Timeline Of A Life Lived Fully . 1829 , 1848 Early Life, Education, and Local Connections . Born in Fairfield, Vermont, October 5, 1829 . Spent parts of his childhood in Greenwich, Lansingburgh, and Schenectady, N.Y., as well as the Loudonville/Newtonville area just north and west of the Cemetery . Chester Arthur's father, the Reverend William Arthur, moved to a Newtonville home with his family in 1855. This home is still located on Route 9 just north of Maxwell Road, about a mile from here. Reverend Arthur was pastor of the Newtonville Baptist Church from 1855 to 1870. This former church is now the Newtonville Post Office . Graduated from Union College, Schenectady in 1848 . Taught school in Schaghticoke and Cohoes, N.Y. and North Pownal, Vermont , 1848 , 1860 Legal Profession . Attended the now defunct State and National Law School, Ballston Spar, N.Y.; admitted to the bar in 1854 . Joined law firm of Culver, Parker and Arthur in New York City, 1854 . First case was a successful defense of Elizabeth Jennings, a black woman, in a dispute with the Third Avenue Railroad Co. in Brooklyn, 1854 . Defended several runaway slaves , 1861 , 1865 The Civil War Years . Bestowed the rank of Brigadier General, serving as NYS Quartermaster General (pictured here), 1861 . Supplied all NYS volunteers with accoutrements and pay . Performed his duties with efficiency and scrupulous honesty . Earned a place in the NYS Republican organization after the Civil War , 1866 , 1880 New York Politician . Appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1871 . Instituted policy to pass a written civil service examination for employment . Performed political work for the NYS Republican Party under Roscoe Conkling . Chosen as the vice-presidential running mate to James Garfield , 1881 , 1885 The Presidency . President Garfield assassinated, Arthur became the 21st U.S. president, September 19, 1881 . Ran an administration of moderate reforms . Renovated the White House with his own funds and through the sale of many historical artifacts from the White House . Prosecuted frauds uncovered during the Garfield administration . Signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 . Created the Civil Service Commission . Presided over dedication of Washington Monument and Brooklyn Bridge . Advocated reform of the Navy, earned the title "Father of the American Navy" . Lost nomination for a second term as president , 1885 , 1886 Retirement and Death . Retired from political life in 1885 . Died of nephritis (kidney failure), November 18, 1886 , ( photo captions ) , Arthur's black sarcophagus monument was unveiled without ceremony on June 19, 1889. The $10,000 monument was paid for by funds raised by the president's friends. Donations also came from children who sent in pennies to honor the late president. The sarcophagus was the work of Charles B. Canfield (who also built Grant's Tomb on Manhattan's Riverside Drive). Sculptor Ephraim Keyser was commissioned to create the bronze Angel of Sorrow extending a palm branch atop the sarcophagus, a symbol of peace and glory. , Upon retiring, Chester Arthur returned to his home in New York City, a brownstone still standing at 123 Lexington Avenue, currently operating as a spice store. , Memorial Day Ceremony at Chester A. Arthur's gravesite with rifle salute, 1965. , A bronze statue of Arthur stands in Madison Square Park in New York City. , The 21st president was honored on the 21₵ stamp in the 1938 Presidential series. , To Learn More: Presidential Connections Visit the grave of Arthur's sister, Mary Arthur McElroy, who is buried in Section 19, Lot 5 here in ARC. Continue your presidential journey to the grave site of John Van Buren (1810 - 1866) in Section 62, Lot 28. He was the son of 8th president, Martin Van Buren. There is also a statue of President Arthur at Union College in Schenectady., All are welcome to enjoy the Albany Rural Cemetery Grounds Since 1841, ARC has been an important destination for area residents and tourists. Enjoy the beautiful landscape, streams, waterfalls and array of funerary art and architecture. Still an active and prominent cemetery, ARC is proud of its continued heritage and provides a full range of burial services. , Friends of The Albany Rural Cemetery Visit online at AlbanyRuralCemetery.org,

A Fine Farewell as President Chester A. Arthur is Laid to Rest
In 1864, the president's father, Revered William Arthur, purchased a plot for his family in this South Ridge area of Albany Rural Cemetery then known as Sunset Lawn.

The first burial here was that of William Arthur's wife, Malvina Stone Arthur who died in 1869. Her grave and later his were both marked with white marble headstones designed and carve by William Manson.

When Chester Arthur's wife, Ellen Herndon Arthur, died on January 12, 1880, she was buried here in the Arthur family plot where her son, William, and mother, Elizabeth Hansborourgh Herndon, were also interred. To mark his wife's grave, Arthur commissioned a white marble sarcophagus also by Manson. Manson was on of Albany's leading carvers whose works included elements of the New York State Capitol as well as the Colonel John Mills monument and D.D. Tompkins Fire Company memorial at the Cemetery.

When Chester Arthur died in New York City on November 19, 1886, funeral arrangements were made by Mary McElroy who honored her brother's wish to be buried beside his wife here in the Albany

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Rural Cemetery. Following the funeral at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in Manhattan, Arthur's body was given a military escort to Grand Central Terminal and placed on a special train to Albany. The funeral train was met in Albany by William C. Doane, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, Albany City Mayor John Boyd Thacher, and former Albany Mayor A. Bleecker Banks were they all boarded the train for the final journey to Albany Rural Cemetery.

As President Arthur's funeral procession reached the Cemetery, the prepared gravesite was veiled by an arrangement of palms and ferns and the casket was carried from the hearse by an honor guard. A wreath of white chrysanthemums sent by President Grover Cleveland was placed prominently nearby as the service was conducted by Bishop Doane with President Arthur's family, friends, dignitaries, and a large crowd of mourners in attendance. That following spring, on April 20, 1887, President Grover Cleveland attended a second memorial service which was held for Chester Arthur at the Cemetery.

Beloved Wife "Nell" Remains At His Side Chester Arthur Proposed to Ellen Lewis "Nell" Herndon

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 10, 2025

2. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite Marker

in Saratoga Springs. Nell was a refined Southern belle from a prominent Virginian family. They were married in 1859. She died young at 42 yrs-old in 1880 of pneumonia before Chester's presidency. She bore three children; son William (died at 2½ yrs-old), son Chester (Jr.), and daughter Ellen "Nellie" Hansbrough.

A flat slab of marble adjacent to Ellen Arthur's Gothic sarcophagus covers a small vault containing the remains of the president's son, Chester Arthur II, his son's wife Rowena Dashwood, and their son, Chester Arthur III.

With the tragic passing of Chester's wife Ellen, the president's sitter Mary Arthur McElroy was recognized as the unofficial First Lady. Mary Arthur McElroy (1841-1917) acted as "Mistress of the White House" serving proudly as hostess for Arthur's residential social activities and setting the standard for official social events for decades to come. She also took an active role in raising his daughter, Nellie.

Timeline Of A Life Lived Fully 1829 — 1848 Early Life, Education, and Local Connections
• Born in Fairfield, Vermont, October 5, 1829
• Spent parts of his childhood in Greenwich, Lansingburgh,

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 10, 2025

3. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite Marker

and Schenectady, N.Y., as well as the Loudonville/Newtonville area just north and west of the Cemetery
• Chester Arthur's father, the Reverend William Arthur, moved to a Newtonville home with his family in 1855. This home is still located on Route 9 just north of Maxwell Road—about a mile from here. Reverend Arthur was pastor of the Newtonville Baptist Church from 1855 to 1870. This former church is now the Newtonville Post Office
• Graduated from Union College, Schenectady in 1848
• Taught school in Schaghticoke and Cohoes, N.Y. and North Pownal, Vermont

1848 — 1860 Legal Profession
• Attended the now defunct State and National Law School, Ballston Spar, N.Y.; admitted to the bar in 1854
• Joined law firm of Culver, Parker & Arthur in New York City, 1854
• First case was a successful defense of Elizabeth Jennings, a black woman, in a dispute with the Third Avenue Railroad Co. in Brooklyn, 1854
• Defended several runaway slaves

1861 — 1865 The Civil War Years
• Bestowed the rank of Brigadier General, serving as NYS Quartermaster General (pictured here), 1861
• Supplied all NYS volunteers with accoutrements

President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite <br>In the Albany Rural Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 10, 2025

4. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite
In the Albany Rural Cemetery

and pay
• Performed his duties with efficiency and scrupulous honesty
• Earned a place in the NYS Republican organization after the Civil War

1866 — 1880 New York Politician
• Appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1871
• Instituted policy to pass a written civil service examination for employment
• Performed political work for the NYS Republican Party under Roscoe Conkling
• Chosen as the vice-presidential running mate to James Garfield

1881 — 1885 The Presidency
• President Garfield assassinated, Arthur became the 21st U.S. president, September 19, 1881
• Ran an administration of moderate reforms
• Renovated the White House with his own funds and through the sale of many historical artifacts from the White House
• Prosecuted frauds uncovered during the Garfield administration
• Signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883
• Created the Civil Service Commission
• Presided over dedication of Washington Monument and Brooklyn Bridge
• Advocated reform of the Navy, earned the title "Father of the American Navy"
• Lost nomination for a second term as

President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 21, 2025

5. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite

president

1885 — 1886 Retirement and Death
• Retired from political life in 1885
• Died of nephritis (kidney failure), November 18, 1886

( photo captions )
— Arthur's black sarcophagus monument was unveiled without ceremony on June 19, 1889. The $10,000 monument was paid for by funds raised by the president's friends. Donations also came from children who sent in pennies to honor the late president. The sarcophagus was the work of Charles B. Canfield (who also built Grant's Tomb on Manhattan's Riverside Drive). Sculptor Ephraim Keyser was commissioned to create the bronze Angel of Sorrow extending a palm branch atop the sarcophagus, a symbol of peace and glory.
— Upon retiring, Chester Arthur returned to his home in New York City, a brownstone still standing at 123 Lexington Avenue, currently operating as a spice store.
— Memorial Day Ceremony at Chester A. Arthur's gravesite with rifle salute, 1965.
— A bronze statue of Arthur stands in Madison Square Park in New York City.
— The 21st president was honored on the 21₵ stamp in the 1938 Presidential series.

To Learn More: Presidential Connections
Visit

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 21, 2025

6. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite

In gestures of honor and respect visiting admirers of President Arthur leave behind tokens showing they have paid their respect.

the grave of Arthur's sister, Mary Arthur McElroy, who is buried in Section 19, Lot 5 here in ARC. Continue your presidential journey to the grave site of John Van Buren (1810 - 1866) in Section 62, Lot 28. He was the son of 8th president, Martin Van Buren. There is also a statue of President Arthur at Union College in Schenectady.

All are welcome to enjoy the Albany Rural Cemetery Grounds
Since 1841, ARC has been an important destination for area residents and tourists. Enjoy the beautiful landscape, streams, waterfalls and array of funerary art and architecture. Still an active and prominent cemetery, ARC is proud of its continued heritage and provides a full range of burial services.

Friends of The Albany Rural Cemetery
Visit online at AlbanyRuralCemetery.org

Erected 2021 by Bender Community Foundation, Albany Rural Cemetery.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical date for this entry is October 5, 1829.

Location. 42° 42.453′ N, 73° 44.017′ W. Marker is in Menands, New York, in Albany County. It can be reached from Broadway (New York State Route 32) west of

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 21, 2025

7. President Chester A. Arthur Gravesite

The Seal of the President of the United States on Arthur's grave marker.

Cemetery Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Located in Albany Rural Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 Menands Rd, Albany NY 12211, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

in the Capital District,

and in the Albany Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chester Alan Arthur (here, next to this marker); Grand Army of the Republic Memorial 1861-1865 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers’ Lot (approx. 0.3 miles away); Col. John Mills (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Superintendent's 1899 House Design Contrasts with Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); Saint Agnes Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Historic Albany Rural Cemetery (approx. 0.7 miles away); General Henry Knox

Chester A. Arthur Relatives image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 3, 2025

8. Chester A. Arthur Relatives

"A flat slab of marble adjacent to Ellen Arthur's Gothic sarcophagus covers a small vault containing the remains of the president's son, Chester Arthur II, his son's wife Rowena Dashwood, and their son, Chester Arthur III."

(approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Menands.

Also see . . .
1. Chester A. Arthur (Wikipedia). (Submitted on October 11, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Chester A. Arthur on Find-A-Grave. (Submitted on October 10, 2025, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.)
3. Albany Rural Cemetery. (Submitted on October 11, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)

Chester A. Arthur Relatives Nearby image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 3, 2025

9. Chester A. Arthur Relatives Nearby

Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2025, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. This page has been viewed 209 times since then and 97 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 10, 2025, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. 5, 6, 7. submitted on October 21, 2025, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. 8, 9. submitted on October 10, 2025, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.