Rock Creek Cemetery

Rock Creek Cemetery. It is one of the oldest burial grounds in Washington, D.C., with origins dating to the early 18th century. The cemetery is renowned for its serene landscape, historic significance, and collection of notable monuments, including a famous sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Operated by St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish, it spans 86 acres in the Petworth neighborhood.

History

The cemetery's history is deeply intertwined with that of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish, which was founded in 1712 on land granted by George Beall. The burial ground was officially established in 1719, making it a pre-American Revolution site. Throughout the 19th century, it evolved from a small churchyard into a major rural cemetery, a movement popularized by places like Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The grounds were expanded and landscaped, with winding paths and mature trees creating a picturesque setting. It served as a primary burial site for many prominent Washingtonians before the establishment of Congressional Cemetery and Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.). The cemetery has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and historical significance.

Notable burials

The cemetery serves as the final resting place for numerous influential figures from American politics, the military, diplomacy, and the arts. Notable interments include John Sherman, the United States Secretary of the Treasury and author of the Sherman Antitrust Act, and his brother, Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman. Other political figures include United States Vice President John C. Calhoun and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan. The cemetery contains the graves of authors such as Upton Sinclair and Katherine Anne Porter, as well as pioneering journalist and suffragist E.D.E.N. Southworth. Military honors are represented by figures like Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War.

Monuments and memorials

The cemetery is celebrated for its artistic and architectural memorials. The most famous is the Adams Memorial, a bronze figure created by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and architect Stanford White. Commissioned by historian Henry Adams for his wife Marian Hooper Adams, it is often called "Grief" and is a masterpiece of American Renaissance art. Other significant works include the Kauffmann Memorial by William Ordway Partridge and the Petersen Memorial featuring a statue by Gutzon Borglum, who later carved Mount Rushmore. The mausoleum of William Wilson Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, is a notable structure. The landscape itself, with its Victorian funerary art and serene Rock Creek setting, functions as an open-air museum of funerary architecture.

Location and administration

The cemetery is located at Rock Creek Church Road and Webster Street NW in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C.. It is bounded by the Rock Creek valley and is near other historic sites like Soldiers' Home National Cemetery and the Lincoln Cottage. The 86-acre site is privately owned and operated by St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish, which manages all interment rights and maintains the grounds. Its administration oversees the preservation of its historic monuments and the natural landscape, ensuring it remains an active cemetery as well as a significant cultural resource within the District of Columbia.

In popular culture

The cemetery's tranquil beauty and iconic monuments have made it a setting in several literary and cinematic works. It is notably featured in Allen Drury's political novel Advise and Consent, where a key scene takes place. The Adams Memorial has been referenced in various cultural contexts, inspiring reflections on loss and contemplation. The cemetery's atmosphere has attracted photographers and artists for decades, contributing to its reputation as a place of quiet reflection within the bustling capital city. Its appearance in guidebooks and historical tours underscores its status as a hidden gem of Washington, D.C., apart from the more frequented monuments on the National Mall.

Category:Cemeteries in Washington, D.C. Category:National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Category:1719 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies