The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-20
GRAVBYARDS OF THE CITY
Old and New Cemeteries in the
National Capital.
The First Square Set Apart for In
tcrments of the Dentl-MOnuments
and Personal Virtues of Notable
Mcn-History of the Arlington Site.

| aptipathy to cemeteries and never make
their appearance within the border land
between the living and the dead if they
can avoid it, it is nevertheless a fact that
there is much of interest to be found in
almost any one Of the silent cities
about Washington.
The histories OF the burying grounds OF
| a city form a curious record, showing how
| the dead have first received tribute from
| and then been forgotten and finally crowd
ed out by the living to find at last rest
ing place where no mention OF them may
more be heard number Of cemeteries
once belonging to this city have teen
plowed up by the advancing hand oil I'M
| proyement, but others show, in many
stately monument, mementos Of the rich or
| famous dead The first burying ground in
this city comprised square 1863. situated be-
| tween Eighth and Boundary Streets. and
| Nineteenth and Twentieth Streets north
| west. Prior to 1896 this property was
| owned by Anthony Holmead, and was part
of large estate, but in that year the site
Of the city was divided into squares and
prescribed, 1t was purchased by the city
government. On February rs. 1898. this
square was set aside as a cemetery. and
! public notice was given to that effect. BY
an act of May 10. 1902, the corporation OF
Washington was authorized to take care OF
and regulate burial grounds, and square
1O9 was fitted up as suitable place for the
bur oil If tbo In fn
most popular burying ground in Wash ng-
ton. The last interment made therein oc-
Cured in 1859 or 1860.
An act of Congress OF March 3, 1879.
granted to the District Of Columbia the
right and title of the United States in aad
to square 1903. to be used for public schools.
and authorized the Commissioners 10 sell
any part or the whole of the square. The
proceeds Of this sale were directed to BE-
used exclusively for the purchase Of sites
for public school houses. The same act
also authorized the Commissioners to re-
move all bodies and tombstCnes. Subse-
quently an act was passed appropriafi.ig
80 GOO for the examination and removal of
such bodies as were ide ntified to such GEM
eteries as the relatives or friends might
select This was done in 1880, with the
exception Of about two thousand bodies.
WHICH dlteTWdTu, III Win
rangements made with the proper auth0ri-
ties, were removed 10 Graceland and Rock
Creek Cemeteries. The old burying
ground, square 1G9, was subsequently sold.
The Congressional Cemetery was estab-
lished early in the history Of the city. The
original plan for this burying ground.
which has always been faithfully adhered
to, was to place the prices Of the lots so
low that persons in humble circumstances
nf dv-an
tages with their more prosperous neigh
bors.
Among the projectors Of the Congress
sional Cemetery were Henry Ingle, George
Blagden, Griffith Coombs S. n. Small
wood, Dr. Frederick May, Peter Miller.
John T. Frost, and Commodore Thomas
Tingey. So far as can be ascertained the
first interment was that Of Hon. Criah
Tracey, a member Of the United States
Congress from Connecticut. The site, as
described in 1871. was AIS feet by Alb feet,
with a gentle slope toward the south. The
ranges Of lots then, as now, were desig
mated north and south by letters and east
and west by numbers. One Of the most
notable monuments in this cemetery is that
to the Hon. George Clinton. it is pyra-
mid of freestone about twelve feet high
and reared on broad base. One side pre-
sents a bold relief profile likeness cut in
marble, beneath which appears the fol-
lowing inscription: ITO the memory of
George Clinton. He was born in the State
of New York on the Goth of July. 1893 and
died at the city of Washington. goth of
April, 1911. in the seventy-third year OF
his age He was a soldier and statesman
OF the Revolution. eminent in counsel, dis
tinguished in war. He filled with uneX-
ainpled usefulness, purity, and ability.
among many other high offices, those of
Governor OF his native State and OF Vice
President Of the United States. While he
lived his virtue, wisdom. and valor were
the pride. the ornament. and the security
of his country, and when he died he left |
an illustrious example of a well-spent
life. worthy of all imitation. This monu-
ment is affectionately dedicated by his
children
There Is also in this cemetery a splendid
pyramidal monument erected to the mem |
DRY OF Elbridge Gerry. of Massachusetts,,
Vice President of the United States at the |
time of his death. He died suddenly on
his way to the Capitol to preside in the
Senate. November 90. 1914, at the age OF |
seventy years. general receiving vault |
stands on one of the main avenues. erected |
by Congress for those for whom graves |
had been prepared. Ii is of freestone has |
an iron door. and is surrounded by an |
iron paling which encloses an area de- |
voted to trees and shrubs. The rule now is |
that bodies can only remain in this |
vault two months. but in the early days |
1t could not have been enforced as the |
remains of William Writ. author OF the |
British Spy" were permitted to lie here |
ten months. Wirts friends and brother |
members of the bar had promised to erect |
a monument to his memory. but they did |
not even provide for his interment. and |
the remains after a long delay, were at
length thrown into an obscure grave.
William Pinkney. of Maryland. the most
eminent of American orators in his time, |
also lies buried here.
Oak Hill Cemetery occupies ex-
tremely picturesque site upon the borders |
of Rock Creek. 1t was previously known |
as PARROTS Woods and owes its orr |
gin to the late w. W. Corcoran. who pur-
chased fifteen acres of land of Lewis |
Washington. and when the charter for !
Oak Hill Cemetery Company was obtained |
from Congress. March 6. 1919. he conveyed |
this land to the company for the purposes |
of a. cemetery. The size of Oak Hill has |
since been increased to about forty acres |
The incorporators were Lorenzo Thomas, |
John Marbury, Edward NJ. Linthicum and |
George Poe.
Many distinguished persons are buried |
in this cemetery. There is within its area
gray granite obelisk about twenty feet !
in height bearing the simple inscription:
Edwin NJ. Stanton. Born December 10.
1914. Died December "a. 1862 There is
also here a monument to Gen. Jesse Lee
Reno, who was killed at the battle of
South Mountain, September II, 1862
There are two mausoleums. one erected
by w. w. Corcoran, the other being that
of the Van Ness family, transferred from
its former position on II Street This latter
is said to be copy Of the Temple of vcsta.
at Rome. Prof. Joseph Henry has a monu-