History Comes Alive at the Congressional Cemetery
Rest in Peace . . . and Learn Something.
If you're a young DC Fed, you probably think there isn't a local landmark of point of interest you haven't seen.
The Air and Space Museum? "Hit it every time a family member from out of town comes to visit." The FDR Memorial? "Yep! And it's even better at night." Even lesser known sites, like the "Awakening" sculpture at Haines Point or the Albert Einstein monument? "Been there, done that!"
How about this one: The Congressional Cemetery? Yeah . . . we didn't think so!
The Congressional Cemetery is located at 1801 E Street in Southeast DC, just a short drive from anywhere in the city. Exploring this urban treasure is a great way to spend a few hours on a Fall weekend day with the lush foliage displaying magnificent colors. It's also a great way for grown ups to "treat" themselves on Halloween.
Back in 1807, when the first burials occurred on the land, the original Congressional Cemetery comprised only 4½ acres (the area where the gatehouse now stands). By 1875 the cemetery grew to its current size of more than 32 acres. Its name -- "Congressional Cemetery" -- evolved from "Washington Parish Burial Ground" when the U.S. Congress added its own name to appropriation legislation. Although it was --
and still is -- privately owned (anyone may be buried there) Congressional was in fact the first national cemetery created by the government.
Like nearly all cemeteries across the country in the 19th century, Congressional served as a quite oasis in the city and a popular park for DC residents. Back in 1862, Morrison's Strangers Guide and Etiquette for Washington City and its Vicinity said visitors would find it a "burying ground beautifully situated on the banks of the Eastern Branch... with the noble range of forest-clad hills on the opposite side of the beautiful expanse of water." A visitor in 1884 described it this way: "A truly lovely spot for that long, long sleep that awaits each mortal, and also a beautiful calm retreat."
But by the 1970's Congressional became a truly scary cemetery and had fallen to neglect and hard times. In 1976, a group of ambitious, civic minded citizens formed the Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery and have worked hard to repair, restore and maintain the cemetery. Their work has paid off, and as a result, it is once again a landmark area of which the city and the nation can be proud.
And a place that Young Feds should appreciate and take advantage of. Wandering on the old brick paths with an outstanding collection of funeral sculpture, visors can meet such notables as: Declaration of Impendence signer (and Vice President under James Madison) Elbridge Gerry; Pushmataha, a Choctaw Indian Chief, warrior and diplomat; J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (his companion, Clyde Tolson is buried a short distance away); Mathew Brady, the father of photojournalism; famed musician John Philip Sousa; and Belva Lockwood, who was nominated for President of the United States in 1884; among others.
It's a great place to get away for a few hours... but we hope you don't stay there forever!
The office and library of the Congressional Cemetery are open from 10:00am to 2:00pm on Monday Wednesday and Friday, and from 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday. The gates for the grounds close at dusk.
Next time: The Smithsonian National Postal Museum gets our stamp of approval!
