National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-22
THE OLD BURY1Ne GROUND.



One marble slab lying on u small ridge is the
only evidence thnt square iO0 situated be-
tween and boundary streets and Nineteenth
and Twentieth streets northwest, was ever oc.
cupied as a metropolis. on the west side of
the square is a paling fence which extends
about fifty feet along the line of the square.
The entire square Is covered with thick under
brush, and In walking through II one is COM
PEELED to step over inntunerabe little mounds
which bear no somblunCe to graves On the
outer edges of the square are large trees, and
from the branches of these are swung rope
swings, in which the children of the vicinity
ainuso Themselves. The park is used rs a play
ground by the children, and casual observer
would never know that . 900 bodies repOsc less
than six feet under the soil.
This square was, prior to Aug. 81, 1906 the
property OF Anthony Holmead, ard was part
Of large estate situated in that part OF tho
city. When the division of squares was made
in 1906, between the United States commits
| sioncrs and Anthony HOlmeGd, square 100 was
allotted to the commissioners
ON Feb. D. 1905, the square was assigned and
set aside rs public burial ground, and public
notice was given. by an act Of May 10, 1870,
| the corporation of Washington was author.
| lied to take care of and regulate burial
| grounds" The grounds were fitted out as n
suitable place to inter the dead, and were in
| the early part of the present century the most
popular cemetery in the city, in fact 1t was the
| only one prior to 1916. The dead were buried
] NIlNIt UP W nearly .NNthts sthls, NhSh O.hti
cemeteries which had sprung up came into
| use. The last intCrment there, accOrdingto an
old citizens statement, was in 1850 or 1860, and
| since that time there is no record to show that
| there have been any bodies inferred there.
! Some years ago the qucstson of what could be
! done with the property came up and was dis
| cusscd for some time. Congress was appealed
| to, and an act was passed March 3, 1879, grant.
| ing to the district, to be used for school pur.
poses, and none others, the right and title OF
| the United States in and to square No. 100 In
| the city of Washington, and authorizes the
| commissioners ut any time to sell any part or
! the whole OF that square, the proceeds of the
! sale to be used for no other purpose whatever
/ except in the purchase of sites for public
! schools, or in the erection or purchase OF
school buildings. The net also authorized the
! commissioners to remove all bodies and tomb
stones before the property Is sold
Another act relating to the same subject
| granted an appropriation OF s3OOD TO eNhumc
/ and remove all bodies that were identified to
/ such cemeteries as the friends and relatives OF
| the dead should request This was done few
years ago, and there vet remain over 1000
! bodies OF persons who We're not identified.
| About week ago the commissioners ad-
| vertiscd the property to be sold Nov. 10. AS
| they are prohibited from selling the property
| until The remains are all exhumcd, they will
! this morning set a gang of men ut work turn
| ing over the soil of the entire square to u depth
| of six feet and removing the remains. Arrange
! ments have been perfected with the trustees of
| GraCcland and Rock Creek cemeteries to have
| the bodies taxed there and inferred. After the
| bodies have been taken out the square Will be
| put in good shape and sold.
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