National Harmony Memorial Park

Beautiful cemetery grounds, many burial options

National Harmony Memorial Park is meticulously maintained. The property has a park-like atmosphere with rolling hills and lush green lawns making this a truly peaceful atmosphere that has attracted families for many generations. We believe you should have options when it comes to a final resting place.

National Harmony Memorial Park offers many gardens and burial choices, including traditional ground burial with flat bronze markers or upright monuments, family burial estates, mausoleum entombment and lawn crypts. For cremated remains, we have a columbarium, cremation pedestals and cremation benches. In fact, our cemetery is so known for its beauty that people who have moved away from Washington, D.C., often still end up choosing National Harmony Memorial Park as their final resting place.

Multiple mausoleums

National Harmony Memorial Park has multiple mausoleums. The Eternal Peace Mausoleum, completed in 2007, is the newest. It includes 4 entombment areas and 4 banks of cremation niches with a courtyard in the center. It has an outdoor garden for quite reflection when you visit.

Memorial gardens of all types

Our cemetery property also has many lovely gardens, each with unique features. The Garden of Devotion allows for upright monuments for in-ground burials and includes a magnificent community mausoleum. The Garden of Tranquility holds lawn crypts. The Garden of Hope opened in May 2016. Located near the front of the park, it also features mostly lawn crypts. Those of the Christian faith may opt for the Garden of Cross. The focal feature of this garden is an 18-foot wooden cross at its highest point.

A tradition of excellence

For decades, we’ve focused on treating people with respect, regardless of religious faith or ethnic origin. Our team comprises professional and compassionate people, and we are often recognized for our excellent service. We pledge to treat you with dignity and a human touch when you choose National Harmony Memorial Park.

History

In 1825, a small group of Washington's free African-Americans established the Harmoneon Society. At the time, free African-Americans joined together to create burial societies like the Harmoneon Society. These organizations would collect minimal dues from members to cover funeral expenses and sometimes extend financial support to their spouses and children. Harmoneon Society was specifically focused on supporting the sick and providing a dignified burial alternative to the colored-only sections of a few white cemeteries.

National Harmony cemetery established

Today, more than 180 years later, the burial grounds of the Harmoneon Society are known as National Harmony Memorial Park. The cemetery as we know it today started in the late 50s when the government contracted with National Harmony to take on the task of moving the historically African-American Columbian Harmony Cemetery (1857-1959), which had fallen into disrepair.

According to the historical records, 37,000 earthly remains were disinterred from African-American Columbian Harmony Cemetery and reinterred at National Harmony—a massive effort. In 1969, a similar request moved another 2,000 interments to National Harmony from Payne's Cemetery.

Notable burials

Among those moved were many distinguished African-American citizens and Civil War veterans. Here are just a few:

Florence Letcher Toms, one of the founders of Delta Sigma Theta, an influential sorority out of Howard University. She collected elephant figurines, which are now collected by Deltas all over the world.

Alvin Childress, a wonderful actor. His most famous role came as Amos Jones in the television comedy show Amos 'n' Andy. 

Osborne Perry Anderson, an abolitionist who fought as a Union soldier during the Civil War. He was the only surviving member of John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry.

Dr. Charles H. Flowers, the main flight instructor of the famous Tuskegee Airmen during WWII.

Honoring prominent African-Americans

To honor our rich history, we have many sections of our cemetery named after prominent African-Americans. The Slade Section is named after William Slade, a community affairs leader who was once in charge of all hired staff at the White House. He was described as President Lincoln’s “friend and human comforter.”

The Bell Section is named after George Bell, a former slave who organized and built the 1st school in the Washington, D.C., area for black children. He’s also the namesake of Bell Vocational High School. The Adams Section is named after John Adams, the 1st black man to teach in the District of Columbia. The Cook Section is named after a few members in the Cook family. John F. Cook Sr. founded Columbia Institute and the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church. George F.T. Cook was the 1st superintendent of the Colored Public School System of Washington and also president of the Columbian Harmony Society.

The Northup-Reid tribute

As a tribute to some of the great black figures in America’s history, we commissioned the Northup-Reid feature in 2017. This huge hunk of granite—an unmistakable and prominent feature of the cemetery—was built as a lasting tribute to Solomon Northup and Philip Reid.

Solomon Northup was a free-born African-American who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He wrote about his story in the memoir that was turned into the film 12 Years a Slave.

Philip Reid was a slave who was instrumental in the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the the U.S. Capitol. Philip solved an incredibly complicated architectural issue and used his know-how for the bronze casting of the statue. He was made a free man during the process, when Congress emancipated slaves living in the District of Columbia in 1862.

We hope the Northup-Reid feature serves as a reminder of these great men and an inspiration to current generations and those to come.

Community involvement and events

National Harmony Memorial Park is always looking for ways to make a positive contribution impact on our community. We love being a part of the D.C. area, largely because of the great people here.

We are very active in our community, supporting local businesses, churches and veterans organizations. Through affinity partnerships, we offer benefits to partner organization employees, church members and veterans organizations members who make their funeral arrangements ahead of time.

We also host annual events at our memorial park, including Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and Father’s Day. These are days we dedicate to our families, enjoying refreshments and celebrating lives well lived. We would love you to join us at any of our events.

If you have a cause or organization that you think we could help, or have questions about affinity partnerships, please let us know.