Pioneer Information
Born on March 21, 1790, in Pompton, New Jersey, Douglass later studied at Yale University. After graduating, his service in the War of 1812 earned him a promotion to Captain and a teaching position at West Point (1815), initiating a lifelong commitment to university instruction. During his tenure, he was named chairman of the mathematics department (1820) and professor of civil engineering (1823). In 1831 Douglass left his position at West Point and began teaching civil engineering and architecture at the University of the City of New York (now New York University).
Douglass’ years in New York City led to his greatest design achievement and the one for which he remains best known: the layout of The Green-Wood Cemetery. One of the earliest and largest of its kind, Green-Wood was important for its role in defining the aesthetic character of rural cemeteries, while promoting Picturesque landscapes as places for urban relaxation and renewal. His success at Green-Wood inspired similar work for Albany Rural Cemetery in New York (1846) and Mount Hermon Cemetery (1848) in Québec, Canada, where curvilinear roads, paths, and plots enhance the sites’ dramatic topography.
Throughout his career Douglass pursued a diversity of projects as a consulting engineer. He oversaw the construction of a section of the Erie Canal (1825) and surveyed for construction of the Croton Aqueduct (1833-1866), which supplied drinking water to Manhattan for many years. In his later years Douglass taught at Kenyon College, where he also served as president (1840-1844), before relocating to Geneva (now Hobart) College, in Geneva, New York, to teach mathematics and natural philosophy. Soon after arriving he suffered a stroke that led to his death on October 21, 1849. Douglass is interred at The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
