5/31/14 PHOTO VOLUNTEER NOTE:
A photo volunteer went to Mount Olivet Cemetery to try to locate a photo request. She was informed that The Archdiocese of the Catholic church does not allow volunteers to take pictures for Find-a-Grave. However, she spoke with Cheryl Tyiska, manager, at Mount Olivet. They are able to help by sending you the information you need, i.e. plat/card records. They are also willing to actually take the pictures of the markers/headstones for you. They have a form on their website - www.ccaw.org - that you can fill out. They are located at 1300 Bladensburg Rd, NE, WDC 20002 - 202.399.3000.

Mount Olivet Cemetery is the oldest and largest Archdiocesan Catholic Cemetery in the Metropolitan Washington area. Since 1858 when the gates first opened, Mount Olivet has served the needs of the Catholic families and is still serving these needs.

Among the notable Americans who rest in Mount Olivet are James Hoban, Irish born Architect, who designed the White House. Daniel Carroll of Duddington, patriot, landowner and Washington's first bank president, who sacrificed much of his property to the Government to provide the site of the Capital and other Federal buildings; Captain Thomas Carberry, the sixth Mayor of Washington. Mount Olivet is also the resting place of two tragic Civil War figures, Mary Eugenia Surratt and Confederate Army Captain Henry Wirz.

In 1858 original parishes in Washington obtained permission from the Archbishop of Baltimore to prepare and open a Catholic Cemetery in Washington. The pastors of these churches, St. Matthews, St. Patrick's, St. Peter's and St. Dominic's administered the affairs of the Cemetery until it accepted the Archbishop of Washington as an Archdiocesan Cemetery in 1952. The first interment was made on October 12, 1858, Andrew Mills, a parishioner of St. Patrick's.

On its hundredth anniversay, Mount Olivet Cemetery consisted of 85 acres of well-tended grounds, holding the graves of over 106,000 persons.

Mount Olivet Cemetery's location on Bladensburg Road has historical significance. Its acres originally were part of the Fenwick Farm tract that once belonged to the brother-in-law of Archbishop John Carroll. Forty acres of Fenwick Farm were purchased by the pastors of the six oldest churches in Washington in 1857 from Edward Fenwick to establish Mount Olivet