Fort Lincoln Funeral Home & Cemetery

A Brentwood funeral home with a heart

The non-denominational Fort Lincoln Funeral Home works with people of all cultures, religions and backgrounds. With your guidance, the funeral home team can weave your family's traditions and cherished memories into a beautiful memorial service, designing a tribute as special as your loved one. Because we believe every life deserves a celebration, we start with your stories and then suggest ways to incorporate a person's passions and personality into a fitting tribute.

How that plays out is as unique as the person being celebrated. Whether you are seeking a full traditional funeral or a modern celebration of life (with live music, catering and a send-off that specifically reflects your loved one), we go the extra mile to make it happen—and we do it with a level of care and compassion that's uncommon.

Want a butterfly release? You got it. A horse and carriage instead of a hearse? Monogrammed bookmarks as memento gifts? Yes and yes. Our caring and compassionate team takes the time to visit with you and your family to help plan a personalized celebration like no other.

Flexible funeral home spaces

Built in 1991, Fort Lincoln Funeral Home has a formal chapel that seats up to 210 guests and several viewing rooms for more intimate services. The hospitality suite gives families a place to host friends and family. The repast room, which holds up to 110 people, has a stained-glass window designed by the renowned Conrad Pickel Studio. It depicts Abraham Lincoln, the cemetery's Old Spring House and the bell tower of the cemetery's Community Mausoleum.

The Little Church

The Little Church sits on the grounds of Fort Lincoln Cemetery. A recipient of an architectural award from the Board of Trade, the church has soaring arched ceilings, carved wood benches and stained-glass windows depicting Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man.” It is a lovely place for a committal service—as well as a popular wedding venue.

On-site crematory

Not everyone knows that there are many cremation options. If you are interested in cremation, the Fort Lincoln Funeral Home team can explain the process and the different memorial service options. Whether it's a direct cremation without a memorial service to a full funeral service before the cremation, we'll help you understand this increasingly common choice. For families who choose cremation, Fort Lincoln Funeral Home has a private crematory. This gives us complete control of a cremation from start to finish, which means your loved one never leaves our care. If desired, cremated remains can be memorialized at Fort Lincoln Cemetery.

We are here for you

Fort Lincoln Funeral Home and Fort Lincoln Cemetery sit right on the Maryland/District of Columbia line, on Bladensburg Road in Brentwood. For those traveling by air, Fort Lincoln is only a short drive from all three D.C.-area airports: BWI, Dulles and Reagan.

As members of the Dignity Memorial® network, the funeral home and cemetery give you not only the warm, familiar attention you expect from locally operated businesses but also the value you deserve by way of the largest network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers in North America. We invite you to call us for immediate assistance or learn more about planning ahead.

Fort Lincoln Cemetery

Fort Lincoln Cemetery is steeped in beauty, history and tradition. Chartered in 1912 by an act of the Maryland General Assembly, the 176-acre property was historically significant long before it became a cemetery. The Old Spring House, the oldest-standing structure on the grounds, was built in 1683. During the War of 1812, the famed Battle of Bladensburg happened here, and the property was an active part of the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds until 1820.

Features of our memorial park

The first burial occurred at what is now Fort Lincoln Cemetery in 1920. In 1929, the Little Church was built for committal services. With stained-glass windows depicting Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man,” the building won an architectural award from the Board of Trade.

The Community Mausoleum

The Community Mausoleum sits just behind the Little Church. It features the largest collection of privately owned stained-glass in Washington, D.C., including colorful scenes from Arthurian literature and the "Quest for the Holy Grail." The Historic Garden Mausoleum stands as a tribute to the freedoms of the United States. Near that mausoleum sits a replica of the Liberty Bell.

Burial options

Fort Lincoln Cemetery includes areas for traditional in-ground and above-ground entombment, a cremation garden and more. Entombment options include lawn crypts, private estates and four mausoleums—two completed in 2016. Cremation memorialization options include niches (including those in the Cloister Garden of the Little Church), benches, pedestals and private columbaria. Tranquil Oaks cremation garden opened in 2012, with personalized granite pedestals, cremation benches and other special ways to memorialize life.

Though Fort Lincoln Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery, many of the cemetery's memorial gardens pay homage to the Christian faith. They include Garden of the Ascension, Garden of the Apostles, Garden of the Good Shepherd, Garden of the Crucifixion and Garden of the Cross.

The Last Alarm Garden, established in memory of Maryland Fire Chaplain Pierce Damewood, is dedicated to fallen firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

The Lincoln Oak

From approximately 1510 to 1991, Fort Lincoln Cemetery was home to the great Lincoln Oak, a majestic tree under which President Abraham Lincoln met with troops during the Civil War. In 1991, lightning hit and killed the nearly 500-year-old tree. Cemetery management planted a new white oak at the site and installed a plaque commemorating the original tree.

Take a tour

Photos tell a story, but there's nothing quite like seeing something in person. We invite you to visit Fort Lincoln cemetery. You are welcome anytime, or call us to schedule a guided tour.