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40-842: Harmony Cemetery can refer to: United States [ edit ] Columbian Harmony Cemetery , a former cemetery in Washington, D.C. Harmony Cemetery and Zion Episcopal Church, a historic cemetery in Morris, New York Harmony Cemetery in Marlowe, West Virginia Harmony Chapel and Cemetery in Harmony, Rhode Island Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Maryland Topics referred to by

80-510: A cemetery. The congressional charter also provided that no streets could be built through the cemetery. Congress specifically exempted all cemetery land (but not unimproved land) from taxes. Glenwood Cemetery was dedicated on August 2, 1854. In 1859, Humphreys defaulted on his payments to Close, forfeiting his right to receive any property. Close became the sole owner of Glenwood Cemetery, with Clendenin continuing to act as superintendent. Between 1854 and 1874, 2,000 burial plots were sold. When

120-562: A historic injustice in D.C. When the Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood Metro station was constructed in 1976, workers discovered that not all the bodies had been exhumed. At least five coffins were unearthed, and numerous bones. A plaque was affixed to a column near one of the station's entrances to commemorate the former cemetery. When a parking lot at the site was renovated in 1979, more bones and bits of cloth and coffins were unearthed. The relocation agreement did not cover

160-540: A large number of headstones in the riprap lining the banks of the Potomac River , on privately owned land near Caledon State Park in King George County, Virginia . Virginia State Senator Richard Stuart , who bought the land in 2016, enlisted Virginia historians to trace the origin of the headstones; they were determined to have come from Columbian Harmony. Because the headstones were adjacent to

200-551: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Columbian Harmony Cemetery Columbian Harmony Cemetery was an African-American cemetery that formerly existed at 9th Street NE and Rhode Island Avenue NE in Washington, D.C. , in the United States. Constructed in 1859, it was the successor to the smaller Harmoneon Cemetery in downtown Washington. All graves in

240-635: The Maryland Historical Trust , none of the original grave markers were retained. Furthermore, most of the remains at Columbian Harmony Cemetery were transferred and reburied without identifying which person was being reburied. The headstones were sold as scrap and used to secure the riverbank of the Stuart Plantation, a 1400 acre conservation easement site on the banks of the Potomac in King George County, Virginia . In 2016

280-632: The "Harmoneon," a cemetery exclusively for members of the society. This was a 1.3 acres (5,300 m ) cemetery bounded by 5th Street NW, 6th Street NW, S Street NW, and Boundary Street NW . Burials began in 1829. On June 5, 1852, the Council of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia passed a local ordinance that barred the creation of new cemeteries anywhere within Georgetown or within

320-509: The "Harmony Section", and allowed the society to appoint half the board of the new cemetery association. Beginning in May 1960, approximately 37,000 graves were moved to National Harmony Memorial Park . The District of Columbia Department of Health had to draft and win approval of a whole new set of regulations to govern the mass relocation. A D.C. district court agreed to issue a single exhumation order, rather than review thousands of cases. All

360-450: The 12 investors in the cemetery. The new congressional charter required that 25 percent of the proceeds from the sale of lots should be paid to the original 12 investors, with the remainder being used to maintain the cemetery. Close refused to recognize the legality of the new congressional charter. Close now argued that the 60 acres (240,000 m ) of unimproved land was private, not cemetery, property. Further complicating matters, Close

400-549: The Columbian Harmony Cemetery was purchased in the summer of 1886. From the early 1880s to the 1920s, Columbian Harmony Cemetery was the most active black cemetery in Washington, with 21.8 percent of all African-American burials occurring there. It never ranked lower than fourth in total African-American burials, and between 1892 and 1919 it was number one in every year but one. In 1895 alone, one-third of Washington's blacks were buried there. Columbian Harmony

440-770: The Council of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia passed a local ordinance that barred the creation of new cemeteries anywhere within Georgetown or the area bounded by Boundary Street (northwest and northeast), 15th Street (east), East Capitol Street , the Anacostia River , the Potomac River , and Rock Creek . A number of new cemeteries were therefore established in the "rural" areas in and around Washington: Columbian Harmony Cemetery in D.C.; Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland ; Mount Olivet Cemetery in D.C.; and Woodlawn Cemetery in D.C. The property which became Glenwood Cemetery

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480-479: The District of Columbia assessed property taxes on the 60 acres (240,000 m ) of unimproved land, Close argued that the entire site was dedicated to cemetery use. The tax assessments were withdrawn. On February 28, 1877, Congress passed legislation changing the name of the association to "The Glenwood Cemetery". The board of trustees was reduced to five. Three of the trustees were to be elected by individuals who had purchased burial plots, and two by agreement among

520-486: The area bounded by Boundary Street (northwest and northeast), 15th Street (east), East Capitol Street , the Anacostia River , the Potomac River , and Rock Creek . A number of new cemeteries were therefore established in the "rural" areas in and around Washington: Columbian Harmony Cemetery in D.C.; Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland ; Glenwood Cemetery in D.C.; Mount Olivet Cemetery in D.C.; and Woodlawn Cemetery in D.C. As Harmoneon quickly filled,

560-638: The cemetery in March 1853. Close had loaned Humphreys $ 27,000 to make his improvements, and in April 1853 Humphreys gave Close a 50 percent interest in the premises. The remaining half interest was given to Close in June 1854. Close agreed that if Humphreys repaid the debt, Close would give him half the land back. On July 27, 1854, Congress passed legislation granting a congressional charter to and establishing The Proprietors of Glenwood Cemetery. The cemetery association

600-466: The cemetery managers at Glenwood invited chainsaw artist, Dayton Scoggins , to carve four of their fallen oak tree stumps into unusual wooden statues. One features a large dragon capturing a smaller dragon. Another is a saber tooth tiger with smaller animals at its feet. The final two are angels, one ascending to heaven and one with a chain. The images were inspired by Revelations chapter 20, verses 1–3: And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having

640-400: The cemetery were moved to National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Maryland , in 1959. The cemetery site was sold to developers, and a portion used for the Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood Washington Metro station. The Columbian Harmony Society was a mutual aid society formed on November 25, 1825, by free African Americans to aid other black people. On April 7, 1828, it established

680-626: The design. The cemetery hired de la Roche because he proposed a " rural cemetery " landscape design. De la Roche designed a series of winding roadways that followed the topography. A portion of the grounds remained undeveloped by the time the American Civil War broke out. In November 1861, Abraham Lincoln visited Glenwood Cemetery to visit Colonel John Cochrane 's First United States Chasseurs (65th New York Regiment). The Lincoln connection to Glenwood Cemetery continued after Lincoln's death, when assassination co-conspirator George Atzerodt

720-428: The existing memorials and monuments. According to the Maryland Historical Trust , none of the original grave markers were retained. Furthermore, most of the remains at Columbian Harmony Cemetery were transferred and reburied without identifying which person was being reburied. Grave markers were sold as scrap. The fate of many of the original markers remained a mystery for almost a half-century. In 2009, hikers found

760-465: The few graves at Huntsville to a nearby cemetery and sold its property for $ 178,000 to a real estate development company. The lack of new burials left the cemetery in a difficult financial situation. The cemetery was experiencing an annual loss of $ 3,000 a year. In 1957, real-estate investor Louis N. Bell offered to buy Columbian Harmony Cemetery. Bell informed the society that he would expand his 107.5 acres (435,000 m ) Forest Lawn Cemetery (which

800-622: The hands of the remaining 11 investors. As Glenwood Cemetery began to fill, the unimproved grounds were developed. The layout for Glenwood Cemetery was designed by George F. de la Roche, a civil engineer . De la Roche drew primary inspiration for Glenwood from Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn , New York . But Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts , and Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , were also important to

840-456: The heirs of those buried at Columbia Harmony Cemetery were contacted and their permission to move the graves secured. More than 100 workers exhumed, recrated in new coffins, moved, and reburied the dead. The re-interments were completed on November 17, 1960. It was the largest cemetery move in the nation's capital, and cost $ 1 million. However, to move 37,000 graves between May and November 1960 means that hundreds were moved every day, and there

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880-464: The history of those buried at Columbian Harmony. As of February 2021, only 55 headstones of the estimated thousands had been recovered. A number of nationally and locally important African Americans were buried at Columbian Harmony Cemetery. Among them was the first African-American D.C. firefighter (whose name was not known) to die in the line of duty. Other notable interments included: Glenwood Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) On June 5, 1852,

920-491: The nonprofit, and National Harmony has agreed to allow the nonprofit to place them on the appropriate graves at the cemetery. The two organizations are also working to create a memorial garden inside the main gate of the cemetery. Stuart said he will work to create a parklike memorial along the Potomac to recognize any headstones that cannot be reclaimed. The government of the District of Columbia said it will assist in researching

960-405: The owners of existing burial plots sued in 1949 to prevent relocation of graves. Although some burials took place at the new cemetery, no grave relocations took place. In 1950, the society stopped new burials at Columbian Harmony Cemetery. By this time, at least 400 African American veterans, nearly all of them former United States Colored Troops , were buried there. In 1953, the society relocated

1000-417: The property was bought by Virginia State Senator Richard Stuart , a descendant of the original owners, who discovered the grave markers and sought the help of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam in recovering them. A nonprofit organization will reclaim as many of the headstones as possible and send them to National Harmony, and related memorial markers will be placed in both Maryland and Virginia. It brought to light

1040-571: The property. Close's wife appealed as well, demanding that the property be turned over to her. The dispute went to the Supreme Court of the United States . In Close v. Glenwood Cemetery , 107 U.S. 466 (1883), the Supreme Court held that Close's wife had not filed her claim in a timely fashion and was not entitled to appeal. The Supreme Court also affirmed the judgment of the district court. The Glenwood Cemetery now passed solely into

1080-428: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Harmony Cemetery . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harmony_Cemetery&oldid=521114380 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

1120-534: The society was forced to find new burial grounds. It acquired on July 1, 1857, a 17 acres (69,000 m ) tract bounded by Rhode Island Avenue NE, Brentwood Road NE, T Street NE, and the railroad tracks of the Capital Subdivision of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad . Transferral of graves was completed in 1859. It sold the old Harmoneon site for $ 4,000. An 18 acres (73,000 m ) tract adjacent to

1160-601: The state park, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation could only turn them over to a nonprofit. With the assistance of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam , an agreement was signed by the state of Virginia, state of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the History, Arts, and Science Action Network (HASAN, a nonprofit based in Lynchburg, Virginia ). The grave markers are planned to be turned over to

1200-540: Was Constantino Brumidi , who painted the frescos in the United States Capitol . When Brumidi was buried, his grave was unmarked. The location of Brumidi's grave was lost for 72 years. It was rediscovered, and on February 19, 1952, a marker was finally placed above it. As of 1988, neither the cemetery nor its mortuary chapel had been significantly altered since the construction of the mortuary chapel in 1892. After high winds in 2008 toppled several trees,

1240-592: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. A large number of nationally and locally important individuals were buried in Glenwood Cemetery during its history. Among these were Benjamin Greenup (also spelled Grenup), a D.C. firefighter who was killed on May 6, 1856. For 150 years, Greenup was believed to be the first D.C. firefighter to die in the line of duty. A major memorial

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1280-495: Was buried in Glenwood. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Glenwood Cemetery was known as one of the "big five" cemeteries in Washington, D.C. In August 1892, Glenwood Cemetery commissioned a mortuary chapel from noted local architect Glenn Brown . Brown's Romanesque Revival structure was his only religious structure, and was completed at the height of his professional career. The Glenwood Cemetery Mortuary Chapel

1320-429: Was engaged in a lengthy and bitter divorce proceeding. He had turned over to his wife all his stock and profits in Glenwood Cemetery. A D.C. district court ordered Close to turn over his interest in Glenwood Cemetery to the other investors, to be compensated for this investment, and to continue to receive 25 percent of the profits from the cemetery. Close appealed the ruling, asking to keep all 90 acres (360,000 m ) of

1360-410: Was erected over Greenup's burial site, and every year rookie firefighters drove a fire engine onto the grounds of Glenwood Cemetery to honor his memory. But in 2011, researchers discovered that D.C. firefighter John G. Anderson died in the line of duty on March 11, 1856—two months before Greenup. It remained unclear if the Greenup pilgrimage would continue. Another important figure buried at the cemetery

1400-431: Was first owned by John Dixon, and original patentee of the District of Columbia. In 1809, Dixon sold the land to Dr. Phineas Bradley. Bradley renamed it Clover Hill, and built a large home in the northeast corner of the land. Bradley entertained some of the city's most notable residents, including Senator Henry Clay . Bradley sold the property in 1845, and it changed hands many times over the next nine years. By 1854, it

1440-439: Was governed by a board of 12 people (who had invested a total of $ 100,000 in creating the cemetery): Four from the District of Columbia, plus Close, Humphreys, Evans, and William Phelps (a resident of New Jersey). The board was empowered to appoint a president and three managers. The charter specified that no more than 100 acres (400,000 m ) could be held by the association, and at least 30 acres (120,000 m ) must be used as

1480-465: Was near the society's former property in Landover) by 65 acres (260,000 m ). He offered the society a 25 percent stake in the new cemetery and to pay all relocation costs in exchange for the property in D.C. Although the society rejected this offer, negotiations continued. Bell eventually agreed to also establish a perpetual care fund, designate a 30-acre (120,000 m ) section of the cemetery as

1520-425: Was no time to "recrate them in new coffins", even had 37,000 coffins been available. Many were reburied in a mass grave. Unfortunately, the relocation agreement did not cover the existing memorials and monuments, which would have required identifying remains, moving the markers, and burying each body with its corresponding marker, if any (making a mass grave impossible). This would have taken much more time. According to

1560-485: Was one of the "big five" of black cemeteries in the District of Columbia. By 1900 landscaping and roads were added throughout the cemetery. A chapel was built in 1899, and a caretaker's lodge in 1912. Columbian Harmony Cemetery was filling so rapidly that its owners considered purchasing a new cemetery outside the District of Columbia. By 1901, it held 10,000 graves. In 1929, the society purchased 44.75 acres (181,100 m ) near Landover, Maryland , for $ 18,000. Some of

1600-402: Was owned by Junius J. Boyle. In June 1852, Joseph B. Close, William S. Humphreys, Randolph S. Evans, and George Clendenin purchased the 90-acre (360,000 m ) Clover Hill from Junius J. Boyle for $ 9,000 for the purpose of creating a secular cemetery. Humphreys put a high fence around 30 acres (120,000 m ) of the site and laid out walks and roads. Clendenin was appointed superintendent of

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