Baltimore National Cemetery is a

United States National Cemetery The United States National Cemetery System is a system of 164 cemeteries in the United States and its territories. The authority to create military burial places came during the American Civil War, in an act passed by the U.S. Congress o ...

located along

Maryland Route 144 Maryland Route 144 (MD 144) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 (US 40) between Cumberland and Baltimore. Along with US 40 Scenic, US 40 Alternate ...

on both sides of the boundary between the neighborhoods of Beechfield in

Baltimore City Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

and Catonsville in

Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...

. It encompasses . , the cemetery has nearly 46,000 interments. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2016. A kiosk located on the side of the cemetery's administration building lists the names of veterans and dependents buried in this and two other cemeteries: Annapolis National Cemetery and

Loudon Park National Cemetery Loudon Park National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 7,138 interments. It i ...

. The kiosk also provides map locations for each grave.

History

The area of the Baltimore National Cemetery was once part of an elevated site in Baltimore, referred to as early as 1750 as the Cloud-Capped estate. It was originally owned by the Baltimore Company and

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an Irish-American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic si ...

. In 1890 it was acquired by Blanchard and Susan Randall. When the nearby Loudon Park National Cemetery was deemed full, the War Department surveyed the area for a new site. In 1936 the federal government took possession of the land for a cost of $95,000, and began converting the estate to "Little Arlington". The old mansion was demolished, fences were put up, roads were constructed, and landscaping was done as part of a Works Progress Administration to invest in infrastructure during the Great Depression. The first interment took place on December 22, 1936, but the cemetery was not formally dedicated until May 30, 1941.Cemeteries – Baltimore National Cemetery
, Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2010-08-04 In 2019, The Durable Restoration Company provided restoration of the exterior Tudor style stone facade and slate roof.

Notable monuments

The memorial area of the cemetery has monuments representing each of the six

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

divisions from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Notable interments

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipients ** Fireman, First Class Loddie Stupka (1878–1946),

recipient for peacetime service in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. * Other notable burials ** CW2

Joseph B. Aviles, Sr. Joseph B. Aviles Sr. (February 3, 1897 – February 22, 1990), served in the U.S. Navy and later in the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard. On September 28, 1925, Aviles became the first Hispanic Chief Petty Officer in the United ...

(1897–1990), the first

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

promoted to

chief petty officer A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards. Canada "Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi ...

and later the first Hispanic to be promoted to

chief warrant officer Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Pakistan Air Force, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force, the Lebanese Armed Forces and, since 2012, th ...

in the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

. ** Hattie Carroll (1911–1963), murder victim whose death was the subject of Bob Dylan's song "

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" is a topical song written by the American musician Bob Dylan. Recorded on October 23, 1963, the song was released on Dylan's 1964 album '' The Times They Are a-Changin and gives a generally factual account ...

". ** Rear Admiral Leo Otis Colbert (1883–1968), third Director,

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ ...

(1938–50).history.noaa.gov Profiles in Times: C&GS Biographies: Leo Otis Colbert
** Elijah Stansbury Jr. (1791–1883), Mayor of Baltimore, member of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

, soldier in

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

** Waters Edward Turpin (1910–1968), author during the Harlem Renaissance, United States Navy

Gallery

File:Baltimore National Cemetery 2.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 3.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 8.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 9.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery, Flag September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 10.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 12.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 13.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 14.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 15.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016 File:Baltimore National Cemetery 16.jpg, Baltimore National Cemetery September 2016

References

Baltimore National Cemetery - Durable 2019

External links

National Cemetery Administration

Baltimore National Cemetery

* * * {{Find a Grave cemetery Catonsville, Maryland Cemeteries in Baltimore Historic American Landscapes Survey in Maryland United States national cemeteries Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore County, Maryland Cemeteries in Maryland Buildings and structures in Baltimore County, Maryland