Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-11
OLD WASHINGTON
By James CrogYon.

\ By James
When the city was laid out In build
ing squares and lots there were num-
Der of private burial grounds In which
the dead Of the families and slaves OF
the original proprietors were buried
These came. in some instances. in the
lines OF the streets and avenues. The
Commissioners therefore made an order
that there should be no further internent
In them.
They also set apart two squares. one
in the eastern and one in the western
part OF the city as public burial grounds
Later these came into use, and other
burial grounds were provided within the
city limits
For half century almost all inter
ments OF residents were made in the
city grave yards The sites are now COW
cred by residences and other buildings.
From time To time, therefore. have
those places been plowed up and human
remains turned W. to tho mNstihcatioh
OF the people. No, seldom were there
reports that an ancient Indian graveyard
had been Bnearthed.
One graveyard was At the southwest
corner of Lafayette Square. the family
burial ground of n family by the name
of Pierce. At * street. west of 18TH
street. some slaves OF Gen. John DAVID
son proprietor of the Fort ROYAL tract,
were inferred. There vas graveyard
on II street between 18th and l'Sh streets
northeast, near the intersection OF Mary
land avenue and ID street northeast, on
the land of George Walker.
In GarrolisbGrE, on Georgia avenue Dc
tween South Capitol and LIST streets south.
east the descendants of Charles Carroi
had a place OF interment. Near the
navy yard gate, in Georgia avenue east
of Sth street was Prouts graveyard.
Probably the hest known of these prl-
vate burial places was that on Inc
Bealis' level tract of David Burns. on
and 10Th streets northwest. in which some
OF the Burns family were entomoed.
tine mausoleum, in which Marsia
Burnes Van Ness and Gen. Van Ness
were en;ombed. was built here ABOUT ISL"
The site is now occupied by the George
town University medical school
Georgetown Burial Grounds.
Georgetown, being much older, than
Washington. at that day had its public
burial grounds In the county there
were the burial grounds of st. Paurs
Episcopal Parish, at Rock Creek Church.
At Queens Temple. west of Langdon,
there was the Catholic burial ground.
There was evidently but little thought
in those DAYS that the entire city, plated
into squares of building lots, would ever
be covered by homes of people. Grave
yards were located in places now COW
cred by fine houses.
With the exception of Congressional
cemetery. all the graveyards In the orig
inal confines of the city have been aban-
doned. What were known as country
NJ hot i-,a
rounded by we'll settled neighborhoods.
About St. Patricks Church, on the west
part of the square between and q.
9th and 10th streets, there were num-
Der of graves. some marked by stately
monument or modest tombstone. On q
street was the receiving vault.
Some interments were made in the
days of Father Antony CARRY. 1874 to
1904. but the most OF the dead were
buried there in Father Matthews pas
torate, extending TO 1854. These were
mostly of the families Of thu original
members of the church.
The parish graveyard was on FLORIDA
avenue at the head Of I'd street west, en-
bracing two and a half acres of ground
donated by Mrs. Ann Cazanave. daugh-
ter OF Motley Young. an original propri-
etor, in 1905. IL was the leading Catholic
graveyard till the opening of Mount OIL
vet in 1859.
The bodies were removed from here
subsequently. 1t was sold under an or
der of the court. BY 1SoO the land was
plotted for building purposes and Is now
well peopled by the living.
In 1896 the corporation established
poorhouse on the square between VI and
n. 9th and 9Th. The northeastern por
ton of the square was used a pOtters
held until 1916. The colored graveyard
of 1895 was in the neighborhood % 9TH
and streets, extending northeast.
Corporation Burial Ground.
Square 100. between 10th and Goth
streets. on the boundary, was the cor
poration burying ground from 1897 till
abandonment about 1870 This and an
other square hereafter 10 be noticed had
been assigned by the Commissioners as
a burial ground for the interment OF peo-
pie Of all denominations.
An act of the councils provided Tor
the inclosing and maintaining il as such.
The Commissioners We're authorized TO
plat and sell grave sites at $: each TO
white persons, but 10 make no charge
when the dead was a slave or a person
OF color.
This was known for many !ears as
Holmead's graveyard. Many dead OF
the leading families of the city were m
TERED there. Proba bly, no other city o.
the dead was so well populated as this.
Phillip Williams was the sexton FOR a
number of years Afterward Guy Gra-
ham was there for over thirty years
The last interment was of Louis Payne
Tor POWELL In June. 1869. He had been
executed at the arsenal July ., four years
before for completely in the assasslha-
ton Of President Lincoln.
The other bodies were then being re-
moved. In the following year. lsso
those unclaimed were taken TO Rock
Creek cemetery. Needless Is 1t to say
that stately dwellings now rest on this
ground.
Thomas Monroe. superintendent in 1888
to Henry Inele the other square
tween 18th and 14th streets Florida ave-
nue. and II street. This being found too
wet i'm May following square 111o. be-
tween +, and G. and 18th and 18th streets
southeast. was conveyed TO Mr.. Ingle.
Square 1925 was. however. used as a
graveyard. governed by the
act noted above. There were, however:
as out of the way. Long since puiioing
lots were made over the grave Sites
Congressional Cemetery.
On square Ills In 1905. was started
In 1872 IL was conveyed oy
Mr.. Ingie to the vestry of Christ Episco-
nal Church and was known as the WASH
ington Parish burying ground. TIL is49.
when II became Washington cemetery.
It had long before been known by the
name of the Congressional cemetery. AS
early as 1916 Congress made an appro- |
nriatiop for the purchase OF grave sites ,
for deceased members and made subse- |
auent appropriations
AS may be supposed there were many /
sv, of ntn n