Baltimore National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Baltimore National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located along Maryland Route 144
on both sides of the boundary between the neighborhoods of Beechfield
in Baltimore City and Catonsville
in Baltimore County
. It encompasses 72.2 acres (292,183.3 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 44,268 interments.
A kiosk located on the side of the cemetery's administration building lists the names of veterans and dependents buried in this and two other cemeteries: Annapolis National Cemetery
and Loudon Park National Cemetery
. The kiosk also provides map locations for each grave.
. In 1890 it was acquired by Blanchard and Susan Randall. When the nearby Loudon Park National Cemetery
was deemed full, the War Department surveyed the area for a new site. In 1936 the federal government took possession of the land for a cost of $95,000, and began converting the estate to "Little Arlington
". The old mansion was demolished, fences were put up, roads were constructed, and landscaping was done as part of a Works Progress Administration to invest in infrastructure during the Great Depression
.The first interment took place on December 18, 1936, but the cemetery was not formally dedicated until May 30, 1941.
divisions from World War II
.
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
located along Maryland Route 144
Maryland Route 144
Maryland Route 144 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 between Cumberland and Baltimore...
on both sides of the boundary between the neighborhoods of Beechfield
Beechfield, Baltimore
Beechfield is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Yale Heights and the Baltimore County line . Its population in 2008 was estimated at 3,789....
in Baltimore City and Catonsville
Catonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
in Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
. It encompasses 72.2 acres (292,183.3 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 44,268 interments.
A kiosk located on the side of the cemetery's administration building lists the names of veterans and dependents buried in this and two other cemeteries: Annapolis National Cemetery
Annapolis National Cemetery
Annapolis National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Annapolis, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 2,994 interments...
and Loudon Park National Cemetery
Loudon Park National Cemetery
Loudon Park National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 7,138 interments. It is currently closed to new interments, and is maintained by the Baltimore National Cemetery.- History :Loudon Park...
. The kiosk also provides map locations for each grave.
History
The area of the Baltimore National Cemetery was once part of an elevated site in Baltimore, referred to as early as 1750 as the Cloud Capped estate. It was originally owned by the Baltimore Company and Charles Carroll of CarrolltonCharles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
. In 1890 it was acquired by Blanchard and Susan Randall. When the nearby Loudon Park National Cemetery
Loudon Park National Cemetery
Loudon Park National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 7,138 interments. It is currently closed to new interments, and is maintained by the Baltimore National Cemetery.- History :Loudon Park...
was deemed full, the War Department surveyed the area for a new site. In 1936 the federal government took possession of the land for a cost of $95,000, and began converting the estate to "Little Arlington
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
". The old mansion was demolished, fences were put up, roads were constructed, and landscaping was done as part of a Works Progress Administration to invest in infrastructure during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.The first interment took place on December 18, 1936, but the cemetery was not formally dedicated until May 30, 1941.
Notable monuments
The memorial area of the cemetery has monuments representing each of the six United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
divisions from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Notable interments
- Fireman, First Class Loddie Stupka, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient for peace-time service in the United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
- CW2 Joseph B. Aviles, Sr.Joseph B. Aviles, Sr.CWO2 Joseph B. Aviles, Sr. , served in the U.S. Navy and later in the Coast Guard. On September 28, 1925, Aviles became the first Hispanic Chief Petty Officer in the United States Coast Guard...
, the first HispanicHispanicHispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
promoted to Chief Petty Officer and later the first Hispanic to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
.
See also
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National Cemetery