Congressional Cemetery

Congressional Cemetery Review

Established in 1807 "for all denomination of people," this cemetery is the final resting place for such notables as U.S. Capitol architect William Thornton, Marine Corps march composer John Philip Sousa, Civil War photographer Mathew Brady, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and many members of Congress. Air Force veteran and gay rights activist Leonard Matlovich is also buried here under a tombstone that reads "When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one." The cemetery is about a 20-minute walk from the Capitol. Free docent-led tours are offered Saturday mornings at 11 from April through October. You also can take one of the self-guided tours highlighting everything from the War of 1812 to Women of Arts & Letters. Copies of the tours are available at the Cemetery gatehouse or can be downloaded in advance from the Web site.