Restoration Through Partnership
Channel: Norfolk District Army Corps
Date: 09/11/2022

Yesterday, Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) celebrated the restoration of the Ord and Weitzel Gate, located on the northeastern boundary of the cemetery.  The gate now provides a unique pedestrian entrance to the cemetery that boasts improved walkways, a new guard booth for enhanced security and historic significance.

In 1820, the gate columns originally stood at the northern gate of the War Department Building in Washington D.C. After demolition of the building in 1879, the columns were transported to ANC and used in the construction of the first Ord and Weitzel gate. The last names of Civil War U.S. Army Generals Edward Ord and Godfrey Weitzel were inscribed on the column shafts in 1902 but the gate was dismantled in 1979 due to inability to accommodate modern vehicles.  

In 2015, ANC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a seven-year restoration process of the gate and it stands today as an example of what can be achieved through effective partnership that employs the principles of commitment, communication and collaboration.