Established in 1855, the Methodist Cemetery stands as a testament to Tenleytown’s early days. This one-acre plot is one of the only surviving community cemeteries in Washington D.C. It evokes the geography of an earlier Washington.
Picture this. Parallel gravestones mark a rectangular plot. Nineteenth-century funerary art adds to its historical charm. The Methodist Cemetery contributed to Tenleytown’s initial civic life. Despite its name, it has been independently run since 1855.
Tenleytown was once a small, rural village in Washington County. It expanded after the Civil War. The first burial in the Methodist Cemetery occurred in 1857. The last known burial was in 1989.
The site faced preservation battles. Roadway construction threatened it. A failing cemetery association caused concern. Broken gravestones needed repair. But the Methodist Cemetery endured.
The Methodist Cemetery’s proximity to Fort Reno proved problematic during the Civil War. Soldiers camped here. This unanticipated use caused significant damage. Grave markers were lost. The association’s list of burials may be incomplete because of this.
The Methodist Cemetery is the final resting place for many of Tenleytown’s early residents. The Methodist Cemetery Association owns and maintains it. Members are descendants of those buried here.
In 1855, twelve Tenleytown men purchased this land. They established The Methodist Cemetery. These men represented many of the founding families. It is believed their purchase formalized an existing practice.
Most founders were members of Mount Zion Methodist Church. It later became Eldbrooke United Methodist. It is now The City Church. But the Methodist Cemetery has always been independent. This distinguishes it from other cemeteries of the time.
In the mid-19th century, burials usually occurred on private land. They also took place in church-affiliated cemeteries. The Methodist Cemetery offered a community alternative.
Today the Methodist Cemetery remains a Tenleytown symbol. It is an emblem of an earlier Washington D.C. It received a DC Preservation Award for Excellence in Stewardship in 2010. It was listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in 2008. It has been on the National Register since September 5, 2008. The Methodist Cemetery quietly holds the stories of Tenleytown’s past. It is a place of remembrance. It connects us to those who came before.