Oak Hill Cemetery Gate Crasher Apprehended

Shortly after they arrived for work, the grounds crew at Oak Hill Cemetery discovered that a gate to the hallowed, historical grounds was destroyed. The crew alerted Paul K. Williams, the COO of the Oak Hill Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation, immediately so he could assess the damage. When Williams arrive on-scene, he was “astonished” by the damage to the 20-foot high, wrought iron gate that had been installed in the 1880s. It was padlocked and secured into the ground.

“It was nearly completely destroyed, with pieces of the gate strewn nearly 30 feet into the cemetery road,” Williams said.

The driver had left by reversing their vehicle backwards, taking what was left of the gate bent outward towards R Street. The Aquia sandstone column that supported the gate was cracked in the process. Unfortunately, Aquia sandstone is a rare stone. Williams shared that it was used to build the Smithsonian Castle and is no longer available.

“We figured it was a small truck or SUV going very fast through the stop sign 15 feet away, up the short drive and into the gate, traveling very fast along R Street, where it ends and a right onto 28^th Street, is the only option at the stop sign,” Williams said. “I contacted several homeowners at the opposite corner to see if they heard anything overnight, but most were away on vacation.”

Surveying the damage to a gate at Oak Hill Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Paul Williams.

Believe it or not, the gatecrasher was caught, all through chance. Without knowledge of who it was that hit the gate and fled, the Oak Hill Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation posted a photo of the damage on their Facebook page. It was shared by the Old Time D.C. Facebook page and less than two hours later, a police officer called Williams from Charles County, MD.

“[They] simply said, ‘I know who hit your gate last night,’” Williams said. “It turns out, he was a fan of the Facebook page and put two and two together—small world indeed!”

The officer had pulled a driver over at 11:30 p.m. the night before in his jurisdiction with damage to a company van that included pieces of the Oak Hill Cemetery gate on his hood. Dashcam video from the van was obtained that captured the moment before impact, clearly showing the cemetery gate.

While the cemetery has what Williams called “a very sophisticated 360 camera” at 30^th and R Streets NW (their main gate) and Williams’ residence that captures activities at that intersection and the comings and goings in and out of the cemetery.

The 28^th Street NW gate is closed and locked unless needed for contractors or funerals.

“We do have a set of pilons at the 28^th Street gate that can now be set into their place to attempt to prevent this from happening in the future,” Williams said. “While they are not always popular, I think a series of speed bumps along R Street at the stop signs would have prevented this.”

A Bit of Background on Oak Hill Cemetery
by Forbes Dudley

The damage to a gate at Oak Hill Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Paul Williams.

The land that Oak Hill Cemetery stands on today was originally purchased 176 years ago in 1848 by Mr. William W. Corcoran. He was the original founder of the cemetery, who devoted himself to philanthropy and who established a company to oversee the well-being of the cemetery.

James Renwick, Jr., who also famously designed the Smithsonian Building and today’s Renwick Gallery, was commissioned as the architect for the main gate and the gothic inspired chapel on the property. Along with gothic influences, Oak Hill’s design as a cemetery reflects the 19th Century Romantic movement’s emphasis on nature. The landscaping and English style garden of the cemetery create a natural and beautiful setting for the community.

Today, Oak Hill Cemetery overlooks Rock Creek Park and is a neighbor to Dumbarton Oaks, another historical treasure of Georgetown. The cemetery was notably founded as a non-denominational place of burial for people regardless of their faith, race, or ethnicity. Oak Hill is the resting place for poet John Joyce, Washington Post’s publisher Philip Graham, and a large number of Civil War generals among many others.