Sacred Places
Mt. Olivet Cemetery, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy
A garden for the living, on a 160-year-old burial ground.
WHERE
Washington, DC
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
The Nature Conservancy
Visit
Where it is
1300 Bladensburg Rd NE, Washington, DC 20002
What happens here
Visitors are encouraged to read the journal and contribute to it. Families and small groups gather on the two commemorative benches for reflection or prayer.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
A burial ground that also serves the living.
01
The Need
Catholic cemeteries are sacred burial grounds for those who have left the earth, but they also serve as powerful places for the living. Mount Olivet is a memorial ground over 160 years old, and stormwater runoff across the site would otherwise flow into the Anacostia River.
02
The Vision
Staff of Mount Olivet Cemetery and the Archdiocese of Washington provided extensive input during the design process and assisted with the installation. Recognizing the four local founding parishes and their contributions to the cemetery was important enough to be built into the fabric of the place.
03
The Transformation
Over 100 newly planted trees now provide habitat for native species and reduce the urban heat island effect that occurs in areas with little or no foliage. The garden spaces support native species and capture stormwater, complementing the extensive green infrastructure the Nature Conservancy has already installed across the cemetery to capture millions of gallons of runoff bound for the Anacostia. A memorial wall carries the four founding parishes inscribed on it. Two small commemorative benches face the Nature Sacred bench, sized for a family or a small group.
HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
There is something comforting up here among the dead, away from the city yet still comforted by the sounds of humanity mixing with the chirps of the birds. It is a sort of busy, alive, noisy, calm, dead + relished solitude.
– Ky
