Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-22
The Last Of the Cemeteries Within the
City Limits.

l
The Last Of the Cemeteries Within the
| City Limits.
| HOW A PART OF Anthony HolMEAp's FARM
| CANE TO BE SET APART AS CEMETERY
OVER TEN THOUSAND PERSONS BURIED THERE
FAMILIES WHOSE NAMES &APPEAR UPON THE
OLD RECoRDs-THE, RECENT SALE OF THE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THE BODIES, ETC
The square of ground No. 100, commonly
known as Holmead's cemetery, bounded by
18th and Goth streets, IS and Boundary streets,
which was recently sold to Mr. John r. Nc
Lean. of Cincinnati, under authority of the act
OF Congress, approved March Sd, 1879, was. in
the early part of the century, the principal
| ''city of the dead" in this section. The Com
| mssioners are how having the remains buried
there long ago disinterred and removed to
| other burial places. Although not laid out in
modern style, With ctrcling walks and terraces.
1t was long looked upon, with its straight
walks. its handsome, well-grown cedars stand
| ing like sentries guarding those who slept,
and the Old grave stones black with age, and in
many instances broken by the wear and tear of
| the elements as spot most appropriate to the
| uses to which it was devoted and forever sacred
| as the last resting place of loved and honored
dead. Before the establishment of Oak Hill
| Lincoln avenue. Holmead's cemetery was the
| principal burial place OF the capital. Sundays
1t was generally thrOnged with visitors friends
and relatives OF the departed ones. St. Johns
burial ground on the square bounded
| by R, s, 18th and 18th streets was
| among the first of the burial places within
| the city limits to be given up to other purposes,
| the bodies being removed, then st. Matthew's
| Catholic burial ground and the Foundry Metho-
dist burial ground, near the head of 18th street
IN of fhn fafn oh,,f, ko:,,x
! just before the war and the others few years
after the war, Now, when the removal of bod
| les from HOlmeads is completed. the western
section OF the city will be entirely free of ceme-
terles within the corporate limits. Messrs Ash
| ford Johnson. of the Real Estate Insurance
company, having reported that the Commits
| sioners had the power to dispose of the prop
| erty under the act of Congress of March Sd,
1879, the square containing l2S. 200 square feet
has been sold to Mr.. Mclean for $50, 600.
ANTHONY HOLMEAD's FARM.
Originally this ground was included in that
part Of the District known as Anthony Hol-
mead's farm. 1t is believed that his family
graveyard was located in the northeast portion
of the square Tradition has it that when the
city was being laid out Mr.. Holmead set apart a
plot of 100 feet on Boundary street by 100 feet
on 18TH street as graveyard but there is no
record Of such fact. There appears, however in
the record of the commissioners the following
paper. dated in 1871, and although the actual
conveyance was not made till 1896, there is evil
dence that MIR. Holmead contemplated public
graveyard in this square as early as 1894:
"And in case the arrangement of the streets
lots and the like will conveniently admit of IL
he, the said Anthony Homead his heirs or
assigns, If he so desires it. shalt possess and
| retain his buildings and grave yard if any. In
the hereby baTgained and sold lands paving to
the PRESIDENT at the rate of twelve pounds. ten
shiiiings per acre of the lands so retained be-
cause OF such buildings and grave Yards. and
the same shall thereupon be conveyed to the
said Anthony HOlmead, his heirs and assign,
with his lots. but if the arrangements of fbe
streets, lots and the like will not admit of such
retention. and it shall become necessary to re-
move such buildings, then the said Anthony
Holmead, his executors, administrators and
assigns shall be paid the reasonable value
thefeof IN the same manner as squares or other
grounds appropriated by the United States are
10 bepald tor" Mr.. iHolmead conveyed to the
| commissioners. BeaH and CANT the whole of
the square in 1885, to be sold as public ground
On February 2oth, 1898. the record of the COM
Inissioners show that they had assigned and set
apart said square as
A PUBLIC BURIAL GROUND.
and ordered that public notice be given thereof
three consecutive works. There appears
pears no further legislation on the subject till
the act of Congress, Of May 18th. 1920. which
OF and make regulations for grave Yards. TWAS
then put under the care of commissioners and
the late Lewis johnson. Jacob A. Bender and
Dr. Joseph Burrows were for years the Commits
sloner5 in Charge, and Messrs. John Douglas.
Guy Graham and w. R. Graham the seytons
The regulations of the commissioners provided
for the sale OF grave sites at rot exceeding -
each, or TO give them gratis to persons unable
to pay. The money was to be deposited to the
credit OF the corporation. They were also re-
N n tHn Il y
Office OF the register Of the city. The grounds
We're to be kept well fenced and kept clean and
for years a stout wooden fence was maintained
about them. The cemetery was used till fine
Walks were even encroaChed upon for burial
purposes. There were many instances where as
many as three or four bodies were placed one
above the other in the same SITE
THE FIRST ISTERMENT
was on May goth, 1894, when O Mr. Robert
Smith, of Boston, was buried in the extreme
northeast portion of the ground, probably when
but small portion Of the square had been laid
OIL into grave sites 1nterments continued to
be made until March 9th, 1874, those of late
years being mostly Of cOlOred persons. The
books OF Mr. W. r. Graham, whose father Mr.
Guy Graham, was for many years the sexton.
are quite complete from 1912 down, and with the
fragments or the preceding years show total
OF nearly 1900 interments. 1t is thought that
the total is not far from 10000. Here were
gathered together the remains OF the white col
cred and Indian races, but they were not by
any means buried prOmiscuouslv small
ravne cut of the southwest section of the
square. and that portion was allotted TO the
cOlored race. The northeastern section was
first used tor whites and the southwestern sec
ton was allotted to soldiers who died in the
war OF 1919, many of whom were brought from
Camp Hill. where the naval observatory now
stands There were also other divisions marked
by the walks. Some OF the family lots were i'm
proved by fencing and monuments but there
was but little iron railing used in the DAYS when
Holmeads was the principal cemetery here
PERSONS WHO WERE BURIED THERE
The record books contain the names of MANY
well-knOwn Washington families. Within the
last 10 or Is years the bodies of a number buried
there have been removed. Joseph Meigs, the
father of Gen. NJ. c. Meigs was buried here
September 5, 1922, but his remains were re-
moved to Oak Hill about ten years ago. The
remains of Rev. Lorenzo Dow the widely
known and eccentric minister, buried February
3, 1884, were removed to Oak Hill about six
years ago. The remains of Geo. Moore grand
father of VIM. Moore, who died in 1910. were
removed about six years ago to Mt Oliyet.
Thomas Given, who died i'm 1910. was
buried here Gen. Andrew Jackson, a Virginia
militia general buried a child here in 1915
about the time his namesake's fame was spread
ing over the country. Among other well known
Washington names on the list of interments are
Joseph Mcintosh, 1909; George Morland or Nor
lin; VIM. Seaton, Samuel Douglas, 1915; Alex
ander Smoot, Robert Breckenridge, John Sess-
ford Nicholas King ,Jampg Hahan- Thou II