Old Burial Place Protection Asked

House Bill Introduced Affecting Congressional Cemetery Section

Provision for care and preservation of certain land and monuments in the old Washington parish burial ground, now the Congressional Cemetery, in which are buried some of the persons who took a conspicuous part in the early history of this Nation, is proposed in a bill favorably reported from the House committee on military affairs today by Representative Glynn of Connecticut.

The report points out that among the many distinguished men buried there are George Clinton, vice president of the United States and friend of George Washington; Tobias Lear, the faithful private secretary to George Washington; Gen. James Jackson, a distinguished Georgian; William [Philip] Pendleton Barbour, associate Justice of the United States; William Wirt, Attorney General of the United States, and Abel T. Upshur, a former Secretary of State and Secretary of the Navy.

The bodies of nearly 100 soldiers and seamen of the Revolutionary period, the war of 1812 and few Northern and Southern soldiers of the Civil War are also interred in this cemetery.

The particular part of the Washington Parish burial ground was deeded to the Government as a burial place for Government officials and it is within a mile of the Capital on the Anacostia River. It is an isolated part of the cemetery and for 50 years has been allowed to go to decay.

The Washington Parish burial ground itself is under the direction and care of an Episcopal Parish, but this section of the cemetery has been left uncared for all these years, the report emphasizes.

Published by: The Evening Star, February 13, 1929

Publishing date: December 12, 2012