Glover Park in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Georgetown Departed
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 27, 2018
If you go down Wisconsin Avenue and turn left on R Street, just past Montrose Park is Georgetown's largest burial ground. Oak Hill Cemetery sits on 22 acres of winding paths and terraces that descend into Rock Creek Valley. It is a major example of the 19th-century romantic landscape movement that called for a natural blending of plantings rather than formal gardens.
Oak Hill Cemetery was begun in 1848 by William Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The beautifully proportioned Gothic Revival chapel on the highest ridge of the cemetery was designed the following year by James Renwick, a pre-eminent 19th-century architect, who also designed the Renwick Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution's Castle on the National Mall.
Among the many notables buried at Oak Hill are the Peter family, descendants of Martha Washington; Joseph Henry, scientist and first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Philip and Katharine Graham, publishers of the Washington Post; and three women convicted as Confederate spies.
Farther east, behind residential buildings at 27th and Q Streets, is Mt. Zion Cemetery. The cemetery combines the biracial Old Methodist Burying Ground, founded in 1809, and the historically black Female Band Society Cemetery, founded in 1842. The graveyard was saved in part when it was declared a National Historic Landmark in the 1950s.
Erected by Cultural Tourism DC.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the DC, Art on Call series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1809.
Location. 38° 55.05′ N, 77° 4.163′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Glover Park. Marker is at the intersection of 35th Street Northwest and Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, on the right when traveling north on 35th Street Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2000 35th Street Northwest, Washington DC 20007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Holy Rood Cemetery (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Introduction to Burleith
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 27, 2018
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 27, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.