Grafton National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Grafton National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in Grafton
, Taylor County
, West Virginia
. It encompasses a total of 3.2 acres (12,950 m²). Along with West Virginia National Cemetery
, it is one of the two national cemeteries in the state of West Virginia, both of which are located in Grafton. The first interments took place in 1867 for casualties of the American Civil War
in West Virginia.
The Grafton cemetery is closed to most new interments due to inadequate space. Interments are made at nearby West Virginia National Cemetery
since it was dedicated in 1987.
directed Major R. C. Bates to find a location to bury remains of Union
casualties of the American Civil War
throughout West Virginia. West Virginia was a member of the Union, after seceding from the rest of Confederate
Virginia
and forming a new state in 1863.
Bates found a site adjacent to the town of Grafton's Maple Avenue Cemetery, where many soldiers had already been buried. The terrain was also relatively level, unusual for the mountainous region. The 39th Congress
appropriated a 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) site that same year. The cemetery was dedicated in 1868 by Arthur I. Boreman
, the first Governor of West Virginia. Boreman was key in the two-year campaign for a cemetery in the state.
The first interments were held in the lower two terraces: 1,252 Union soldiers, 613 of which were unknown
, were buried. Remains from temporary graves in Clarksburg
, Grant County
, Fayette County
, Kanawha County
, Marion County
, Rich Mountain battle site
, and Wheeling
, as well as several Union dead from Kentucky
were relocated to the National Cemetery. Additionally, some Confederate soldiers were buried.
The cemetery contains the burial site of Thornsberry Baily Brown, believed to have been the first Union casualty of the Civil War. Brown was believed to have been killed on May 22, 1861 when he refused to acknowledge a Confederate
sentry. Brown is said to have shot the Confederate in the ear, and was then shot in the heart. Brown was reinterred at Grafton in 1903 in Section F, Grave 1226. In 1904, the Grand Army of the Republic
dedicated a 12 feet (3.7 m) memorial marble obelisk
.
The three-acre site sits along Grafton's Walnut Street. It is surrounded by a stone wall approximately 3 foot (0.9144 m) high, with entrance gates on three of the sides. A walkway and series of stairs divides the site in half, running from the Walnut Street entrance to the rear entrance. Smaller walkways are laid out perpendicular to the central path, dividing the cemetery into six sections on three leveled terraces. A large flag pole sites in the middle of the central terrace, while next to it is a plaque containing wording from a 1875 act of Congress
regarding the preservation of the cemetery.
On the lower terrace are two more plaques that contain the wording of Theodore O'Hara
' poem, Bivouac of the Dead
. Along the edges of the cemetery are five additional memorial sites dedicated to cenotaph
s for service men whose bodies were not recovered, either from sea or elsewhere. The grave markers on the two upper levels are uniform small, white, rectangular stones with arched tops, while the bottom level contains private, individual markers.
Two buildings have stood on the cemetery grounds. A Superintendent's Lodge designed by General Montgomery C. Meigs
stood until it was demolished in 1957. The modern caretaker's house, a -story stone building, was constructed c. 1900 and later served as an administrative building.
By the 1960s the Grafton cemetery had limited free space for burials. West Virginia veterans groups began lobbying for a new national cemetery after a 1975 study determined the limited remaining space at Grafton was too steep or costly to use. The West Virginia United Veterans National Cemetery Committee was established and sought to pressure the governor and federal government representatives to seek a new national cemetery. In 1987, the 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) West Virginia National Cemetery
opened nearby. The Grafton cemetery closed to most new interments. The cemetery offers interment for veterans or eligible family members in existing gravesites.
Grafton National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on February 2, 1982. In addition to the two cemeteries, Grafton holds the longest ongoing annual Memorial Day
celebration in the country, first decorating the graves of soldiers in 1867.
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
located in Grafton
Grafton, West Virginia
Grafton is a city in, and county seat of, Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 5,489 at the 2000 census. The only two national cemeteries in West Virginia are located in Grafton. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908; the city is the home to the International Mother's...
, Taylor County
Taylor County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,089 people, 6,320 households, and 4,487 families residing in the county. The population density was 93 people per square mile . There were 7,125 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It encompasses a total of 3.2 acres (12,950 m²). Along with West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia. It encompasses . Along with Grafton National Cemetery, it is one of the two national cemeteries in the state of West Virginia, both of which are located in Grafton...
, it is one of the two national cemeteries in the state of West Virginia, both of which are located in Grafton. The first interments took place in 1867 for casualties of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in West Virginia.
The Grafton cemetery is closed to most new interments due to inadequate space. Interments are made at nearby West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia. It encompasses . Along with Grafton National Cemetery, it is one of the two national cemeteries in the state of West Virginia, both of which are located in Grafton...
since it was dedicated in 1987.
History
In 1867, the United States Department of WarUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
directed Major R. C. Bates to find a location to bury remains of Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
casualties of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
throughout West Virginia. West Virginia was a member of the Union, after seceding from the rest of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and forming a new state in 1863.
Bates found a site adjacent to the town of Grafton's Maple Avenue Cemetery, where many soldiers had already been buried. The terrain was also relatively level, unusual for the mountainous region. The 39th Congress
39th United States Congress
The Thirty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865 to March 4, 1867, during the first month of...
appropriated a 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) site that same year. The cemetery was dedicated in 1868 by Arthur I. Boreman
Arthur I. Boreman
Arthur Inghram Boreman was the first Governor of the U.S. state of West Virginia and a United States Senator.-Biography:...
, the first Governor of West Virginia. Boreman was key in the two-year campaign for a cemetery in the state.
The first interments were held in the lower two terraces: 1,252 Union soldiers, 613 of which were unknown
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
, were buried. Remains from temporary graves in Clarksburg
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, Grant County
Grant County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,299 people, 4,591 households, and 3,273 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 6,105 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, Fayette County
Fayette County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,579 people, 18,945 households, and 13,128 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 21,616 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Kanawha County
Kanawha County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile . There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
, Marion County
Marion County, West Virginia
| style="float:right;"|As of the census of 2000, there were 56,598 people, 23,652 households, and 15,515 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 26,660 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
, Rich Mountain battle site
Battle of Rich Mountain
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.-Background:...
, and Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, as well as several Union dead from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
were relocated to the National Cemetery. Additionally, some Confederate soldiers were buried.
The cemetery contains the burial site of Thornsberry Baily Brown, believed to have been the first Union casualty of the Civil War. Brown was believed to have been killed on May 22, 1861 when he refused to acknowledge a Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
sentry. Brown is said to have shot the Confederate in the ear, and was then shot in the heart. Brown was reinterred at Grafton in 1903 in Section F, Grave 1226. In 1904, the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
dedicated a 12 feet (3.7 m) memorial marble obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
.
The three-acre site sits along Grafton's Walnut Street. It is surrounded by a stone wall approximately 3 foot (0.9144 m) high, with entrance gates on three of the sides. A walkway and series of stairs divides the site in half, running from the Walnut Street entrance to the rear entrance. Smaller walkways are laid out perpendicular to the central path, dividing the cemetery into six sections on three leveled terraces. A large flag pole sites in the middle of the central terrace, while next to it is a plaque containing wording from a 1875 act of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
regarding the preservation of the cemetery.
On the lower terrace are two more plaques that contain the wording of Theodore O'Hara
Theodore O'Hara
Theodore O'Hara was a poet and an officer for the United States Army in the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate colonel in the American Civil War...
' poem, Bivouac of the Dead
Bivouac of the Dead
The Bivouac of the Dead is a poem written by Theodore O'Hara to honor his fellow soldiers from Kentucky who died in the Mexican-American War...
. Along the edges of the cemetery are five additional memorial sites dedicated to cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
s for service men whose bodies were not recovered, either from sea or elsewhere. The grave markers on the two upper levels are uniform small, white, rectangular stones with arched tops, while the bottom level contains private, individual markers.
Two buildings have stood on the cemetery grounds. A Superintendent's Lodge designed by General Montgomery C. Meigs
Montgomery C. Meigs
Montgomery Cunningham Meigs was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, construction engineer for a number of facilities in Washington, D.C., and Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army during and after the American Civil War....
stood until it was demolished in 1957. The modern caretaker's house, a -story stone building, was constructed c. 1900 and later served as an administrative building.
By the 1960s the Grafton cemetery had limited free space for burials. West Virginia veterans groups began lobbying for a new national cemetery after a 1975 study determined the limited remaining space at Grafton was too steep or costly to use. The West Virginia United Veterans National Cemetery Committee was established and sought to pressure the governor and federal government representatives to seek a new national cemetery. In 1987, the 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia. It encompasses . Along with Grafton National Cemetery, it is one of the two national cemeteries in the state of West Virginia, both of which are located in Grafton...
opened nearby. The Grafton cemetery closed to most new interments. The cemetery offers interment for veterans or eligible family members in existing gravesites.
Grafton National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on February 2, 1982. In addition to the two cemeteries, Grafton holds the longest ongoing annual Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
celebration in the country, first decorating the graves of soldiers in 1867.
See also
- West Virginia National CemeteryWest Virginia National CemeteryWest Virginia National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia. It encompasses . Along with Grafton National Cemetery, it is one of the two national cemeteries in the state of West Virginia, both of which are located in Grafton...
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National CemeteryUnited States National Cemetery"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
External links
- Grafton National Cemetery
- National Cemetery Administration
- Grafton National Cemetery, 431 Walnut Street, Grafton, Taylor, WV: 24 photos, 1 data page, and 3 photo caption pages at Historic American Building Survey