The Historic Congressional Cemetery Selected as February 2016 Location of the Month

Monday, February 1, 2016

Contact: Pharoh Martin, (202) 724-2070

Washington, DC – The DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment is pleased to honor the Historic Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC as the February 2016 Location of the Month.

Congressional Cemetery, located on the west bank of the Anacostia River in Southeast Washington, is one of Washington, DC’s most historic burial sites. The 207-year-old burial ground was declared the nation’s first national cemetery 50 years before Arlington National Cemetery was erected but it is no longer a government cemetery. Today, it is the final resting place of scores of individuals who were instrumental in the founding of the nation and its new capital city, as well as notable individuals such as composer John Philip Sousa, Civil War photographer Mathew Brady, and Elbridge Gerry, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Also, veterans from every American war can be found buried there.

Sprawling more than 35 acres, this National Historic Landmark offers one of the District’s best exterior location options for film and photography that are in need of a cemetery or cryptic scenery. The location is home to 171 bulky, cube-shaped stones called cenotaphs, or “empty tombs.” The gravely cenotaphs honor members of Congress who died in office during the first several decades of our Nation's history. The use of the cenotaphs discontinued in 1876 when Senator Hoar of Massachusetts argued that this tradition should be abandoned saying that "the thought of being buried beneath one of those atrocities brought new terror to death."

Over 1,000 volunteers maintain Congressional Cemetery year round under the supervision of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery. The cemetery promotes innovative and sustainable practices, such as beekeeping, grazing goats and a dog-walking program.

In 2011, DC’s film commission, which is now apart of the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment, launched the Location of the Month to bring attention to the wide range of cinematically compelling locations that are available to film and television productions. Former Location of the Month recipients include the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market in Northeast, the National Museum of the US Navy in Southeast, and the Mansion on O Street in Northwest. If you are interested in viewing images and using the Congressional Cemetery as a filming location, please visit our Reel-Scout page, or contact us at [email protected].

Do you have a business or location you would like to have featured as OCTFME’s “Location of the Month”?  If so, please forward your inquiry to [email protected].

About OCTFME
The District of Columbia Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment is responsible for implementing, managing, and administering programs, initiatives, and services that support media industry economic activity, growth, and employment in the District of Columbia. Washington, DC’s instantly recognizable landmarks, diverse neighborhoods, cultural amenities, and first-class accommodations are just some of the many features that make the nation’s capital a venue of choice for media production. For more information, contact the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment at (202) 727-6608, visit us on the web at entertainment.dc.gov, join the DC Film community on http://www.facebook.com/entertainDC, or follow us on http://twitter.com/Film_DC.