Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia)

Alexandria National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery, of approximately 5.5 acres (2.2 ha), located in the city of Alexandria, Virginia. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it is one of the original national cemeteries that were established in 1862. As of 2014, it was site to over 4,500 interments. The cemetery can accommodate the cremated remains of eligible individuals.

Alexandria National Cemetery
Alexandria National Cemetery; in the background, behind the second stone wall, may be seen some of the older burials
Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia) is located in Alexandria Historical District
Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia)
Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia) is located in Virginia
Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia)
Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia) is located in the United States
Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia)
Location1450 Wilkes St., Alexandria, Virginia
Coordinates38°48′07″N 77°03′29″W
Area5.5 acres (2.2 ha)
Built1862
ArchitectMeigs, Montgomery C.
Architectural styleItalianate, Second Empire
MPSCivil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.95000106[1]
VLR No.100-0138
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 2, 1995
Designated VLROctober 19, 1994[2]
VA interpretive sign about Alexandria National Cemetery

History

As one of the original national cemeteries, it served as the burial grounds for mostly Union soldiers who died in the numerous hospitals around the Alexandria area, but by 1864 it was almost filled to capacity. This led to the development of the Arlington National Cemetery. The remains of 39 Confederates, originally buried in the cemetery during the Civil War, were disinterred by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1879. The remains were reinterred in Christ Church cemetery.

Alexandria National Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Notable interments

Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865, four civilian members of the Alexandria Fire Department were among twenty men hired by the Union Army's Quartermaster Corp to man the Black Diamond canal barge on the Potomac River. As part of the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth, the Black Diamond was to patrol the river stopping any vessels that could be attempting to transport Booth across the Potomac into Virginia.

As the Black Diamond was anchored around midnight, April 23, 1865 it was struck by the USS Massachusettes. The four civilian firefighters,Peter Carroll, Christopher Farley, Samuel Gosnell, and George Huntington, died as a result of the collision. As they were in service to their country, they were bestowed the honor of being buried alongside Union soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 12 May 2013.

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