Culpeper National Cemetery facts for kids

Culpeper National Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Headstones at Culpeper National Cemetery
Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	305 U.S. Ave., Culpeper, Virginia
Area	17.2 acres (7.0 ha)
Built	1866
Architect	Meigs, Montgomery C.
Architectural style	Second Empire
MPS	Civil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.	96000029
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 26, 1996

Culpeper National Cemetery is a special burial ground in Culpeper, Virginia. It's a United States National Cemetery, which means it's a place where military veterans and their families are laid to rest. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs manages this cemetery. It covers about 29.6 acres of land. As of 2021, more than 14,000 people have been buried here.

History of Culpeper National Cemetery

The area around Culpeper was very important during the American Civil War. It was a key spot between Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy. Many battles happened nearby, like the Battle of Cedar Mountain and the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Soldiers who died in these battles were first buried in simple, temporary graves. After the war ended, a program began to rebury these soldiers properly. In 1867, Culpeper National Cemetery was created. Its purpose was to move many of the soldiers' remains from those temporary sites to a permanent resting place.

Early Days and Design

The first part of the cemetery was 6 acres. It was bought for $1,400 from Edward B. Hill. The original caretaker's lodge was built in 1872. This building was designed by Montgomery C. Meigs. It was built in the Second Empire Victorian style.

Improvements During the New Deal

Many improvements were made to the cemetery in the 1930s. This was part of the New Deal programs. These programs created jobs during the Great Depression. For example, the old tool house from the 1870s was replaced in 1934. This cost $8,000.

In May 1934, the Civil Works Administration helped fix and straighten 912 headstones. In 1936, another 402 headstones were straightened and reset. This work was done through a Works Progress Administration project.

Reopening and Expansion

The cemetery operated without big changes for many years. Because of this, it was closed to new burials on November 17, 1972. On September 1, 1973, the U.S. Army handed over control of the cemetery. It was given to the Veterans Administration's new National Cemetery System. This system was created by the National Cemetery Act of 1973.

In 1975, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Burton–Hammond Post 2524, donated another 10.5 acres. Then, in 2001, 12.3 more acres were bought. This new land has been prepared for future burials. The cemetery officially reopened for new burials on January 16, 1978.

Culpeper National Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. It is also part of the South East Street Historic District.

Notable Monuments and Memorials

Many special monuments stand at Culpeper National Cemetery. They honor soldiers from different states and important events.

• State Monuments: The states of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have built markers. These markers honor their soldiers who died in the Battle of Cedar Mountain.
  • The Maine monument is made of granite. It honors 22 officers and soldiers from the 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry. They died at Cedar Mountain.
  • The Massachusetts monument was put up in 1893. Members of the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry built it.
  • The New York monument was built in 1902. It honors members of the 28th New York Volunteer Infantry. These soldiers were part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 12th Corps, Army Corps of the Potomac. They died at Cedar Mountain.
  • The Ohio monument is made of granite and bronze. The 7th Ohio Regimental Association built it.
  • The Pennsylvania monument was put up in 1910.
• Armed Forces Monument: This monument was built in November 1992. It was sponsored by the American Legion Post 330 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2524. It was officially dedicated on May 28, 2001.
• Unknown Burials Memorial: A special memorial for all unknown Civil War burials was built in 1988. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Burton–Hammond Post 2524, sponsored it.
• National Military Cemetery Monument: This monument is seven and a half feet tall. It is made from a cast iron artillery tube.

Gallery

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  Seventh Ohio Regimental Association Memorial

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  Memorial erected by the Second Massachusetts Infantry

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  A National Military Cemetery monument

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  Close-up of plaque on the National Military Cemetery monument

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  Twenty-eighth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry Memorial

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  Pennsylvania Memorial undergoing restoration in 2010

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  Tenth Maine Volunteer Infantry Memorial

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  Plaque commemorating unknown Civil War reinterments in sections C and D, erected in 1988