Explore Notable Burials
Across Alexandria’s Historic Cemeteries
Explore Alexandria’s noteworthy burials across 16 historic cemeteries — one of the most remarkable concentrations of American history anywhere in the country, from Revolutionary War patriots and George Washington’s inner circle to Civil War soldiers, national figures, and lives long forgotten.
Start Here
If you’re new to Alexandria’s noteworthy burials and cemetery history, begin with one of these essential research pages.
Who Attended George Washington’s Funeral — and Where They’re Buried Today
A documented account of the mourners, pallbearers, and inner-circle figures who attended Washington’s December 1799 funeral procession and now rest in Alexandria’s historic cemeteries.
Read the Research → 02 Alexandria’s 162Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in Alexandria
The most comprehensive registry of Revolutionary War patriots buried in Alexandria — 162 documented individuals across the city’s historic cemeteries, nearly three times the 2001 baseline count.
View the Registry → 03 Historical ContextAlexandria History Timeline
More than 130 documented entries tracing Alexandria’s story from the founding of Jamestown in 1607 to the present — the essential backdrop for understanding who is buried here and why it matters.
Explore the Timeline →Explore These Stories on the Map
Curious where these stories happened?
Explore 50 extraordinary lives mapped across Alexandria’s historic cemeteries.
Each pinned location links directly to the documented biography of an individual buried there — from Revolutionary War heroes to Cold War figures, all georeferenced against today’s Alexandria landscape.
Featured Cemeteries
Five burial grounds that anchor Alexandria’s most significant historical chapters — each a world unto itself, each essential to the American story.
The Presbyterian Cemetery & Columbarium
A cornerstone of the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex, with over 2,500 burials spanning Alexandria’s early civic leaders, Revolutionary connections, Civil War history, and modern legacy. The most comprehensively documented cemetery in the complex — with nearly a decade of ongoing research by the cemetery’s own Superintendent uncovering stories buried for over two centuries.
Over 100 Biographies — Browse by Volume
Alexandria National Cemetery
Established during the Civil War, this hallowed ground reflects Alexandria’s role as a Union hospital city and final resting place for more than 3,900 Union soldiers, U.S. Colored Troops, and civilians connected to the war effort. The second-oldest national cemetery in the United States — predating Arlington.
Explore Notable Burials →The Old Presbyterian Meeting House Burial Ground
A gateway to 18th-century Alexandria, this hallowed ground holds the tomb of Alexandria’s unknown Revolutionary War soldier and the resting place of one of George Washington’s trusted surgeons. Among the oldest burial grounds in the city — and still an active congregation today.
Explore Notable Burials →Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery
Closely tied to Alexandria’s founding generation, this cemetery includes descendants of those who penned and signed the Declaration of Independence — including the family of Richard Henry Lee, who formally moved for independence at the Second Continental Congress in June 1776.
St. Paul’s Cemetery
Home to one of Alexandria’s most enduring mysteries — the Female Stranger — this cemetery also preserves stories tied to tragedy, legend, and figures connected to conflicts from the 19th century to the American West. Alexandria’s most hauntingly atmospheric burial ground.
Explore Notable Burials →Additional Historic Cemeteries
Eleven more burial grounds, each with its own distinct historical character — from Virginia’s oldest Jewish cemetery to the African American burial grounds that preserve stories long excluded from the mainstream record.
Explore Beyond the Page
Want to see where these cemeteries are located across Alexandria?
The interactive cemetery locations map charts all 37 documented historic burial grounds across Alexandria — including the 13 cemeteries of the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex, 52 acres of consecrated ground just 0.9 miles west of the King Street corridor.
The Stories Don’t End on the Page
With more than 35,000 burials in the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex alone — and an estimated 45,000 across all of Alexandria — this page offers a starting point.
Many of the most extraordinary stories — and the exact burial sites of long-forgotten figures — have only recently been revealed through ongoing original research. The best way to discover them is to walk the ground in person.
Join a guided tour led by David Heiby, Superintendent of the Presbyterian Cemetery and the only working historian offering tours in this extraordinary landscape.
ONLY IN ALEXANDRIA · ONLY AT WILKES STREET Page last updated: March 24, 2026