Historic Congressional Cemetery

by Roberts, Rebecca Boggs; Schmidt, Sandra K.

• ISBN13: 9780738592244
• ISBN10: 0738592242
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-05-14
• Publisher: Arcadia Pub

Summary

Historic Congressional Cemetery dates from the days when Washington, DC, was a new city on the edge of a malarial swamp. The stones--sandstone tablets with colonial calligraphy, ornate Victorian statues, 20th-century art nouveau carvings, and contemporary markers in shapes as strange as picnic tables and upended cubes--are a time line of the city. The most distinctive stones are 171 cenotaphs; large cubes designed by Capitol architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe from the same sandstone used in the Capitol. They are found nowhere else. The men and women buried under those stones led lives of beauty, courage, struggle, cunning, leadership, and humor--in short, the stories of American history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 6
Introduction	p. 7
The Washington Parish Burial Ground: A New Cemetery in a New City	p. 9
The Congressional Cemetery: A National Final Resting Place	p. 23
Famous Residents: The March King, the Director, the Chief, and More	p. 37
Notable Stones: Angels, Armoires, and Library Cards	p. 75
Favorite Stories: Oddballs, Scoundrels, and Unsung Heroes	p. 101
Index	p. 126
About the APHCC	p. 127
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