In 1804 the Alexandria Common Council declared that no new cemeteries could open within the city limits. Nor could any new burial plots could be sold. As a result, a complex of thirteen cemeteries were established just outside of the city’s boundaries. The complex of cemeteries is a mixture of Christian and Hebrew burials. The Alexandria National Cemetery opened there in 1862. Union soldiers who died in nearby hospitals were buried there. Today this military cemetery has over 4.500 graves. At the cemetery complex, visitors will see how cemeteries and grave markers have changed over 200 years.
Photos of Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex in Alexandria, Virginia
