Winchester National Cemetery

Winchester National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia. It encompasses 4.9 acres, and as of the end of 2005, it had 5,561 interments. It is closed to new interments.

History

The land around Winchester National Cemetery was used for burials as early as 1862, but after the Civil War additional land was appropriated by the federal government and it was established as a National Cemetery in 1866. In 1870, the land was officially purchased from a land's owner.

Numerous Civil War battlefield cemeteries had their remains reinterred in Winchester, including those from the Battle of Winchester, the Battle of Front Royal, and the Battle of Harpers Ferry. The cemetery grounds underwent significant renovations during the 1930s, adding walls, maintenance buildings, and improving the headstones.

Winchester National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Notable monuments

*There are 15 memorials, each to different units which fought in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War.
*A memorial to the Third Battle of Winchester was erected on September 19, 1864.

See also

*United States Department of Veterans Affairs
*United States National Cemetery

External links

* [http://www.cem.va.gov/ National Cemetery Administration]
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/winchester.asp Winchester National Cemetery]