When Michael Cummings formed the Patrick S. Gilmore Society in 1968 and began his research on the “Father of the American Band,” one of the first tasks at hand was to find out where Gilmore was buried.

With some diligent research and with help from friends in New York, Cummings discovered that Gilmore was buried at Calvary Cemetery, 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd, in Queens, NY, on September 28, 1892, in Section 10, Plot 15, Graves 1-16.

Cummings visited the grave site that year and took photographs at that time.  He made the following notes:

“This plot comprised 16 grave lots enclosed by an 18” high granite wall.  Three steps were leading up to the entrance which had the word GILMORE in raised letters and flanked by two half-sized statues of angels. 

“There were nine people buried here: Gilmore, his wife, his daughter Minnie, her husband John Carter and four of his children.” 

In 1992, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gilmore’s death, Mike Cummings and members of the Society raised funds to create a tombstone for Patrick Gilmore at Calvary Cemetery. 

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