Congressional Cemetery

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Congressional Cemetery Grounds open dawn to dusk everyday, dog walking by members. Founded in 1807, the cemetery is the final resting place of such notables as John Philip Sousa, J.
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Still an active cemetery with plots available, Congressional Cemetery has been owned by Christ Church since 1807 and has been operated by the nonprofit Historic Congressional Cemetery since 1976. Edgar Hoover, Vice President Elbridge Gerry, William Wirt, General Macomb and Push-ma-ta-ta. But as we say, you don't have to be rich and famous to be buried here, you just have to be dead. Located on Capitol Hill among 35 bucolic acres fronting the Anacostia River.

The White House is often dubbed “The People’s House,” yet we rarely stop to celebrate the everyday people who make the W...
10/17/2026

The White House is often dubbed “The People’s House,” yet we rarely stop to celebrate the everyday people who make the White House function: the various butlers, gardeners, chefs, and other non-partisan workers known collectively as the Residence Staff.

In Congressional Cemetery's final Speaker Series event of 2026, Dr. Matthew Goetz, senior historian at the White House Historical Association, will provide a brief history of the White House Residence Staff from 1789 to the present and share some of the lesser-known stories of workers who not only witnessed history but helped make it.

This Speaker Series event will begin in the Congressional Cemetery chapel on Saturday, November 14th at 11 a.m. The presentation and Q&A are expected to last 45 minutes. That will be followed by a 45-minute walking tour where visitors will learn about some of the individual Residence Staff members buried at Historic Congressional Cemetery.

Tickets are $10 and all proceeds go to benefitting the cemetery's non-profit mission of historical preservation and education. Space is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today! Tickets are available for purchase here: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/congressionalcemetery/speaker-series-the-people-behind-the-peoples-house

Thank you to all the amazing participants of our Dead Man's Run 2026! We had a blast welcoming everyone and admiring the...
10/13/2026

Thank you to all the amazing participants of our Dead Man's Run 2026! We had a blast welcoming everyone and admiring the great costumes. We want to thank our amazing team of volunteers. Their hard work and enthusiasm are a huge part of what makes our events special. We hope everyone had a great time, and we can't wait to scare you next year!

Race results can be viewed here: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/Overview/98847

A special thanks goes to our sponsors:
- Congressional Champion




Thank you to for keeping up the spooky music vibes!

Photography by Vincent Vassall

Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's American Indian special topic tour. Congressional Cemetery is the final r...
10/12/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's American Indian special topic tour. Congressional Cemetery is the final resting place of numerous delegates from sovereign tribal nations who came to Washington, DC in the 1800s to advocate for their peoples. Yesterday's tour stopped at the final resting places of many of these delegates, such as Waub-O-Jeag of the Chippewa, Ut-Sin-Malikan of the Nez Perce, and William Shorey Coodey of the Cherokee. Attendees left stones on their grave markers as tokens of tribute and remembrance.

Each September, we remember those we’ve lost to su***de, and come together with messages of hope for Su***de Prevention ...
10/08/2026

Each September, we remember those we’ve lost to su***de, and come together with messages of hope for Su***de Prevention Awareness Month. In 2023, when the first Big Chair painting commissions were organized, artist Heather Anderson ( on instagram) was one of the first to design and dedicate her work to su***de prevention. Now in her fourth year, she reflects on the series and shares the stories of their creation.

Come learn about the chair's message by visiting us at Congressional Cemetery, or by reading about it on our blog at the link in our bio. We invite you to view the Big Chair and to join us in supporting su***de prevention efforts or simply checking in on someone who may need to hear: You Belong Here.

If you’re in crisis, you are not alone. Call or text 988 to connect with the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline at any time, or text TALK to 741741.

***dePreventionMonth ***dePrevention

The first reds of fall are starting a appear at HCC! Keep an eye out for all the changing colors this season. 🍂🍁 ...
10/07/2026

The first reds of fall are starting a appear at HCC! Keep an eye out for all the changing colors this season. 🍂🍁

On October 1, 1879, 74-year-old Italian artist Constantino Brumidi was about 60 feet high in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, p...
10/06/2026

On October 1, 1879, 74-year-old Italian artist Constantino Brumidi was about 60 feet high in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, painting the “Frieze of American History” that now wraps around the room. According to a Washington Post reporter who interviewed Brumidi later that evening, “He was seated in his well-known chair, perched upon the second stage of his platform, and leaning over to give a finishing touch to a figure which was almost out of reach, his chair slipped off and turned over.” According to a petition written in the third person by Brumidi, he managed to grab hold of a ladder rung and “remained suspended by the strength of his arms for the space of fifteen minutes[.]”

Whether the length of time was accurate or not, Brumidi was eventually saved from falling from the platform by Capitol Police Officer H.H. Lemon, as was initially reported. On October 6th, a letter to the editor of the Washington Post titled “A Praiseworthy Act” added that George McCauley, a Capitol guide, had been omitted from the paper’s prior account of the rescue. “This gentleman,” relayed the submitter, “went from the floor of the rotunda, risked his own life in passing around three of the pillars on their narrow ledges in time to assist Mr. Lamon [sic], who was nearly exhausted at the moment, in his efforts to save the painter. Both gentlemen acted most heroically, and to both should praise be given.”

The two gentlemen, Officer H.H. Lemon and Capitol guide George McCauley, are interred residents of Congressional Cemetery. Lemon died in March 1905 and is buried in Range 74, Site 314. McCauley died in November 1937 and was buried in a family plot in Range 97, Site 152. His name is not inscribed on the monument in the plot.

Dedicated community member, site owner, and Adopt-A-Plotter James Graham has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support mon...
10/05/2026

Dedicated community member, site owner, and Adopt-A-Plotter James Graham has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support monument conservation at Congressional. James has committed to biking 100 miles (“a century”) in one day, on October 15th, 2026. His goal is to raise $2,800 for conservation efforts for stones in need of restoration through his GoFundMe. Funds for conservation will enable our conservator, Devlin McDonald of DMC Restoration, to stabilize and repair endangered headstones.

We are so thankful for James’ initiative and commitment!

Please visit the link in our bio to read more and to contribute.

Thank you to all the NRECA Volunteers, and HCC's green team, for planting 2,000 daffodil bulbs this past Thursday! Visit...
10/03/2026

Thank you to all the NRECA Volunteers, and HCC's green team, for planting 2,000 daffodil bulbs this past Thursday! Visit the cemetery this spring to see them in full bloom along Mausoleum Row.

When most people make typos, they aren't carved in stone. The same cannot be said of tombstone typos.Any cemetery is lia...
10/01/2026

When most people make typos, they aren't carved in stone. The same cannot be said of tombstone typos.

Any cemetery is liable to have markers with typographical errors. Perhaps the family was mistaken in the information they provided the stone carver, or maybe the carver simply misread the instructions. On occasion, a prepared person has had the first two digits of their anticipated death year chiseled into their awaiting stone, only to prove themselves wrong by living into the next century. There can be all sorts of reasons behind a grave mistake.

At least three noted figures have typos engraved into their monuments at Congressional Cemetery:

Photographer Mathew Brady died in January 1896, but his original marker says his death occurred in 1895 (the year was corrected on another stone added to the plot in 1988).

Politician John Quincy Adams suffered a fatal stroke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives at age 80. Yet Adams, nicknamed "Old Man Eloquent," is listed a year younger on his Congressional Cenotaph. Perhaps he would be fine with 79.

What's in a name? An extra letter C, if you're Cyrus Spink. The representative's surname is misspelled as Spinck on his Congressional Cenotaph. Spink died three months into his lone House term without journeying to Washington, which probably contributed to this error. His actual gravestone in Wooster, Ohio, bears the correct spelling.

Our friends from are once again offering pet blessings at Congressional Cemetery on Sunday, October 4th from 4-5 pm. 🐶A...
09/30/2026

Our friends from are once again offering pet blessings at Congressional Cemetery on Sunday, October 4th from 4-5 pm. 🐶

All are welcome to join with your animal companion of any variety. Please line up just inside the E Street front gate by the gatehouse. 🐩

This is a free event, rain or shine, open to everyone. 🐾

Address

1801 E Street SE
Washington D.C., DC
20003

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 6am
Sunday 8am - 6am

Telephone

+12025430539

Website

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