By Justin Bodden and David Greene

On June 30, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that Woodlawn Cemetery, along with 13 other sites across the country, was designated a National Historic Landmark.

The title recognizes Woodlawn’s role in preserving and celebrating those who have helped shape the world, according to a press release. The prestigious title has been designated to less than 2,500 places, putting the Norwood-area cemetery in rare company.

The 150-year-old, 400-acre Woodlawn Cemetery is the final resting place to some significant people in our nation’s history, including jazz legend Miles Davis and former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was one of many who advocated for the cemetery to become a National Historic Landmark.

“The Woodlawn Cemetery is the final resting place for many famous Americans and it is vitally important to preserve our nation’s history for ourselves and for the generations to come,” said the borough president, who submitted a letter that supported the cemetery’s designation back in October of 2010.

“Without our history we do not know where we came from and we do not know where we are headed,” Diaz continued.
The cemetery was recently the backdrop to Diaz’s “Bronx SalsaFest,” which he hosted in collaboration with the Bronx Tourism Council — a week of Bronx events celebrating the musical genre.

On Saturday, July 9, the cemetery led a free walking tours to honor Celia Cruz, a legendary Cuban-born Salsa performer who was laid to rest at Woodlawn.

Brian Sahd, executive director of the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery, said they were eager to participate in the festival once they heard about it.

“I said, ‘we have to do something, we’ve got to get involved, because who’s here? The Queen of Salsa is here,’” Sahd said.