Douglass Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia

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Get directions Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Coordinates: 38.80184, -77.05605
Cemetery ID:

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About these numbers These percentages indicate the number of Find a Grave memorials that have a grave photo or GPS coordinates. We don't know the total number of burials in a cemetery, so we cannot calculate a percentage of those with memorials, photos or GPS coordinates.

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This African American cemetery, established in 1895, was named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The cemetery is abandoned and is maintained by the City of Alexandria. The eastern half of the cemetery shows a pattern of burials in sequence of when people died. The other half indicates a practice of relatives being buried together. Records suggest close to 2000 people may have been buried at Douglass, yet fewer than 700 markers are visible today.
In October 2019, researchers working with Alexandria Archaeology conducted a non-invasive geophysical survey at two historic cemeteries maintained by the City, Penny Hill Cemetery and Douglass Memorial Cemetery. This non-invasive survey used two geophysical survey techniques (ground penetrating radar and electrical conductivity) to identify the potential locations of burials without physically disturbing the ground. These instruments were dragged or pushed along the ground and recorded characteristics of the soil that may indicate burials.