Grafton National Cemetery

Grafton National Cemetery is a military burial ground in Taylor County covering three acres divided into six sections across three terraces. A central walkway connects the sections, and stone walls form boundaries on three sides.

The cemetery was founded in 1867 to reinter Union soldiers who died during the Civil War in West Virginia. Major R.C. Bates selected the location to gather fallen soldiers in a place of honor.

The memorial monument came from the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of veterans who formed after the war to honor their service. Visitors can see how this place held deep meaning for those who fought.

The cemetery is located in Grafton and is accessible from the street. Visitors should understand this is a place for reflection where calm and respect are expected.

Thornsbury Bailey Brown, the first Union soldier killed in the Civil War, was reinterred here in 1903. His burial at this site made it a symbol of the war's earliest casualties.

Location: Taylor County

Phone: +3042652044

Website: https://cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/Grafton.asp

GPS coordinates: 39.33640,-80.03000

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:45