Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery

The cemetery spans 16 acres of land adjacent to Rock Creek Cemetery and contains precisely arranged rows of white headstones marking military graves.

Established in July 1861 following the Battle of Bull Run, the cemetery began when commissioners of the United States Military Asylum provided six acres for burials.

The cemetery holds more than 14,000 veterans, including Medal of Honor recipients Thomas Boyne and Benjamin Brown, who served as Buffalo Soldiers.

The cemetery remains active exclusively for residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, featuring a main entrance at 21 Harewood Road Northwest.

The Main Gate, built between 1883 and 1884, incorporates architectural elements from the U.S. Patent Office building that burned down in 1879.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: July 1861

Official opening: August 3, 1861

Address: 21 Harewood Rd NW, Washington, DC 20011 20011 20011

Phone: +18779078585

Website: https://nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/district_of_columbia/us_soldiers_and_airmens_home_national_cemetery.html

GPS coordinates: 38.94572,-77.00879

Latest update: May 11, 2025 04:06