Battleground National Cemetery: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Rock Creek Park - Battleground National Cemetery, National Park Service

McMillen, Frances

Battleground National Cemetery, Reservation 568, is a 1.03 acre property located at 6625 Georgia Avenue in Washington, DC. The cemetery is approximately six miles north of the United States Capitol and two miles south of Silver Spring, Maryland. The cemetery is bordered on its north and south sides by residential structures. Georgia Avenue borders the cemetery to its west and Venable Street to its east. Battleground National Cemetery was founded following the Battle of Fort Stevens, July 11th and 12th, 1864. The cemetery is located a portion of the battlefield approximately a half-mile north of Fort Stevens. Fort Stevens was one of the 68 forts built as part of a defensive ring around Washington during the Civil War. Fort Stevens guarded the Seventh Street Turnpike, present day Georgia Avenue, which was one of the major routes into the capital from the north. On July 9, 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early led his troops towards Washington following the victory at the Battle of Monocacy. On July 11th and 12th, fighting broke out between Union and Confederate troops at Fort Stevens, the only battle to take place within Washington during the war. The Union successfully fought off the Confederates as they tried to invade the capital. Battleground National Cemetery was established shortly after the battle for the burial of Union soldiers. Battleground National Cemetery is significant for its association with the Civil War and as one of the first national cemeteries. As head of the agency responsible for the recovery and burial of Union dead, Quartermaster General Meigs was following orders issued in 1862 by the War Department and acts passed by Congress regarding the acquisition of land for the burial of soldiers. Battleground National Cemetery’s Meigs-designed lodge and maintenance building, the stone walls, central walkway and the arrangement of the headstones, as well as the headstones themselves, maintain much of their historic appearance. These features are emblematic of early national cemeteries. During the 1870s, Meigs made suggestions for the improvement of the landscapes at the national cemeteries, which resulted in the planting of trees, flowers and Osage orange hedges at Battleground and other cemeteries. At the end of the nineteenth century, veterans and states began to honor soldiers who fought in the Battle of Fort Stevens by erecting monuments at the cemetery. In 1891, a memorial to the 98th Pennsylvania Volunteers was raised. It was followed by the 1904 monument to the 122nd New York Volunteers; the 1907 memorial to Company K of the 150th Ohio National Guard; and the 1914 erection of a statue honoring the Twenty-fifth New York Volunteer Cavalry. Battleground National Cemetery was listed on the National Register in 1980. The nomination lists its period of significance as 1864 to 1921. This CLI recommends extending the period of significance to 1936, the year the last burial took place. The National Register lists Battleground National Cemetery for its military significance. The cemetery is also significant in the following areas: landscape architecture, social history and architecture. The landscape retains integrity for its period of significance, 1864-1936, with all seven aspects of integrity represented. While there have been some changes to the landscape, most notably the loss of historic vegetation, the overall integrity of Battleground National Cemetery is high and the landscape invokes the historic character of the property. Although Battleground National Cemetery exhibits strong integrity, the cultural landscape is in fair condition. This is largely due to the condition of the lodge and rostrum. Rehabilitation work on these structures is underway, and repairs to other cemetery features suffering from deferred maintenance is scheduled. Completion of this work will greatly improve the appearance and condition of the cemetery.

Battleground National Cemetery: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Rock Creek Park - Battleground National Cemetery, National Park Service

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