Arlington National Cemetery Historic District - Arlington, VA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

County of site: Arlington County
Location of site: Schley Dr. & Memorial Ave., on the Schley Gates, Arlington Cemetery, Arlington

"As the final resting place of military veterans, from the well known to the unknown and materialized in the rows of white headstones, ANC is nationally significant as the country's premier national cemetery and as a testament to the measures taken to honor and respect those who have played a role in our country's history. With a period of significance from 1864 to the present, ANC retains its integrity and meets National Register Criteria A, B, and C, and Criteria Considerations D, F, and Gat a national level. The Criteria A and B periods of significance of ANC begin in 1864 and continue to the present day. The year 1864 marks the year the U.S. Army began to utilize the estate as a cemetery. Recent additions to the cemetery in terms of land development as well as monuments and memorials are significant despite their age of less than 50 years. The Department of Defense continues to use the cemetery for burials for war veterans, and it continues to commemorate significant national events by the construction of memorials. The period of significance therefore extends to the present day as ANC continues to develop as a national cemetery and as a symbol for those who have fought for the freedoms of United States citizens. The Criterion C period of significance begins in 1864 and ends in 1966 with the massive expansion east of present-day Eisenhower Drive and is directly attributed to the picturesque planning and design of the cemetery under the direction of Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs as well as the Beaux Arts influences of the 1920s and 1930s at the hands of the Commission of Fine Arts. The design of the area to the east of Eisenhower Drive after 1966 is based upon maximizing the number of burials rather than extending the rural/picturesque aspects of Meigs' original design and therefore the period of significance ends in 1966 for the rural/picturesque design under Criterion C. The nomination for Arlington House (a contributing component to the ANC Historic District) has two associated archeological sites that are contributing under Criterion D." ~ National Park Service

"Comprising 624 acres, ANC encompasses nearly one full square mile of land along the western edge of the Potomac River in Arlington County. The cemetery is bounded on the east by Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 11 0); on the southeast by Washington Boulevard (Route 17); on the south by Southgate Road and Columbia Pike (Route 244 ); on the west by Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall; and on the north by Fenton Drive. The main visitor access is from the east via the Arlington Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue which connects the cemetery with Washington, D.C. to the east (an additional service entrance is located on the south end of the cemetery). The terrain within the cemetery consists of a combination of flat uplands, gently rolling hills, a few steep ravines in the western section, and flatter land on the eastern side. The cemetery is enclosed by a series of sandstone and granite walls, wrought iron fences and gates, and chain link fences. The landscape is characterized by mature trees arranged in a naturalistic way in the area west of Eisenhower Drive, as well as trees lining the streets in the areas east of Eisenhower Drive. The burial areas are sodded. Several large monuments, located within specially landscaped areas, are arranged within the cemetery such as the U.S.S. Maine Memorial and the Nurses Memorial. Circulation through the cemetery is via curvilinear paved roadways and pedestrian sidewalks that are arranged for dramatic and scenic views of the headstones, monuments, historic structures, and mature vegetation that follow the rolling topography of the property. The imposing, columned portico of Arlington House (a National Park Service property), completed circa 1818 and placed on the property's highest hill, overlooks the cemetery and the Potomac River to the east. Significant features associated with the cemetery include the Old Amphitheater, the Memorial Amphitheater, Tomb of the Unknowns, and the Columbarium Courts. Late twentiethcentury buildings include the Administration Building, the Welcome Center, and the Service Complexes." ~ NRHP Nomination Form