The Corcoran Mausoleum contains the remains of the cemetery’s founder, William Wilson Corcoran. Photo courtesy of Photo by Paolo A. Carosso
This is the thing about history: it is never done telling its stories about the past.
On Monday night, Oct. 10, the Citizens Association of Georgetown held a meeting at the Oak Hill Cemetery. Usually, the venue isn’t one of the main topics at events like these, but, in this case, the cemetery — in fact, two cemeteries — became an important part of the discussion.
Cemeteries are often seen as a given. The idea of being buried in an unmarked grave easily evokes a feeling of unease. What is not a regular topic of conversation, however, is the maintenance needed to keep a cemetery functioning.
Though the Oak Hill Cemetery has been around for 170 years, given concerns such as space, pathways, the narrowing of roads and the renovation of drainage systems, there is a lot of work involved in making the cemetery accessible.
“We continue to be an operating cemetery,” said George Hill, president of the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Credit: The Georgetowner
