“Round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate.”
– Tolkien
What you are looking at is the original entrance on the western side of Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse, NY.
When the cemetery was dedicated in 1859, the entrance looked much different. This gate was not a part of the plan. There were train tracks running above in full view. In 1882, James J. Belden gave this new gateway to Oakwood. His gift allowed the old rail bridge to be replaced, and covered almost completely with a beautiful granite disguise as you will see in the postcard below.
Belden was a man of many hats in Syracuse. He went into banking and construction; was president of the company that produced the local newspaper. He also owned a hotel, served as Mayor of Syracuse, and was elected to congress for several terms. In 1904, he was…
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