The entrance to Oakwood cemetery has been abandoned since the construction of I-81 more than a half century ago, and it's stonework has since been covered in graffiti and stripped of its large iron gate. The entrance is barely visible from the highway, and stands as a reminder of the once beautiful monument to the deceased. The Preservation Association of Central New York has big ideas for this abandoned site as talks of reconstruction efforts on I-81 reach maturity, and the conversation has turned to leveling I-81 to street level which cuts right through downtown Syracuse.
This preservation effort will include the abandoned chapel and the original administrative building. Federal funds used to mitigate the impact of interstates and event hosting will generate the revenue needed to restore and maintain these abandoned structures. This famous cemetery can be found on the national registry of historic locations and houses the remains of most of Syracuse's most not worthy historical figures. It was called, and was by all practical means, Syracuse's first park due to it's design and location on the rolling hills high above the city. It was built in 1859, ten years after Syracuse's incorporation as a city.