Presidential Grave Sites: Maintenance and Congressional District Locations

Presidential Grave Sites: Maintenance and
Congressional District Locations
Joseph J. Schwarz
Information Research Specialist
Knowledge Services Group
Summary
This report1 lists all U.S. Presidents, their terms of service, information concerning
their grave sites, such as the address and the congressional districts of the grave sites,
and the names and the telephone numbers of the burial locations or organizations or
groups that maintain the burial sites. Information on presidential wreath laying
ceremonies is also included. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Introduction
Reports of private and state run organizations experiencing financial difficulty in
maintaining the nation’s historic grave sites of former U.S. Presidents have caused
concern in Congress.2 Consequently, legislation was proposed in the 107th Congress, H.R.
2806, to provide federal assistance to help the various federal agencies and private and
state run organizations in maintaining the nation’s presidential grave sites, but it died in
committee. Currently, no legislation has been introduced on this issue in the 110th
Congress.
The grave sites of U.S. Presidents are either maintained by the federal or a state
government or a private organization or foundation. Privately owned presidential grave
sites can be maintained by the descendants of a former President’s family, by a private
association or corporation, or by a church or memorial foundation. Presidential grave
sites, which are not maintained privately, are maintained by the state government, the state
historical society or a federal government agency such as the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, the U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. National Archives and Records
Administration, and the U.S. Army.


1 This report originally was authored by Marilyn L. Nelson (retired) and Thomas Coipuram Jr.
2 Doug Pokorski, “Presidents’ Gravesites May Win Federal Funding: Proposals to go Before
Congress,” The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL), July 27, 2001, p. 13.

Currently, only 10 of the 37 presidential grave sites are maintained by the federal
government.3 Due to the high number of privately managed presidential grave sites and
the cost involved in maintaining them, federal assistance may be necessary in the upkeep
and preservation of these presidential grave sites.4 One of the costs currently being
absorbed by the U.S. Army is the annual presidential wreath-laying ceremony at the grave
site on the birthday of the deceased President. Thirty wreaths are laid on the grave sites
of 29 Presidents in a formal ceremony as mandated by Army regulations. (One wreath
is laid at the Lincoln Memorial and another at the grave site in Springfield, Illinois.) The
laying of wreaths on presidential grave sites had been a tradition for many years before
it was written into Army Regulation 360-61 of October 15, 1980.5
The table below lists all the U.S. Presidents, their terms of service, information
concerning their grave sites, such as the address and the congressional districts of the
grave sites, and the names and the telephone numbers of the burial locations or
organizations or groups that maintain the burial sites.
Table 1. Presidential Grave Sites
President and TermBurial Site LocationMaintenanceCong.
of OfficeDist.
George WashingtonMount VernonMount VernonVA

1789-1797Mount Vernon, VA 22121Ladies’ Association8th


Tel. 703-780-2000
John AdamsUnited First Parish ChurchUnited First ParishMAth
1797-18011306 Hancock StreetChurch10
Quincy, MA 02169
Tel. 617-773-1290
Thomas JeffersonMonticelloThomas JeffersonVAth
1801-1809Charlottesville, VA 22902Memorial Foundation5
Tel. 434-984-9822
James MadisonMontpelierMontpelierVAth
1809-181711407 Constitution HighwayFoundation7
Montpelier Station, VA 22957
Tel. 540-672-2728
James MonroeHollywood CemeteryNonprofitVArd


1817-1825412 South Cherry Streetcorporation3
Richmond, VA 23220-6214
Tel. 804-648-8501
3 Jones, Jack B., and Joy E. Jones, On the Trail of the Presidents: An Historical Guide to Burial
Sites and Monuments (San Luis Obispo, CA, J. B. and J. E. Jones, 1994).
4 Kurt Erickson, “U.S. May Shoulder Cost of Presidents’ Graves Upkeep,” The Pantagraph
(Bloomington, IL), July 26, 2001, p. A6.
5 U.S. Department of the Army, Army Public Affairs Program, Army Regulation 360-1. Appendix
I, “Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony,” Oct. 15, 2000.

President and TermBurial Site LocationMaintenanceCong.
of OfficeDist.
John QuincyUnited First Parish ChurchUnited First ParishMAth
Adams1306 Hancock StreetChurch10
1825-1829Quincy, MA 02169
Tel. 617-773-1290
Andrew JacksonThe HermitageLadies HermitageTNth
1829-18374580 Rachel’s LaneAssociation5
Nashville, TN 37076
Tel. 615-889-9909
Martin Van BurenKinderhook CemeteryKinderhookNYnd
1837-1841U.S. Highway 9Reformed Church22
Kinderhook, NY 12106
Tel. 518-758-6401
William HenryWilliam Henry Harrison Ohio HistoricalOHst
Harrison Memorial Society 1
1841-1841U.S. Route 50
North Bend, Ohio 45052
Tel. 614-297-2630
John TylerHollywood CemeteryNonprofitVArd
1841-1845412 South Cherry Streetcorporation3
Richmond, VA 23220
Tel. 804-648-8501
James PolkState Capitol GroundsState of TennesseeTNth
1845-1849Capitol Hill5
Nashville, TN 37243
Tel. 615-741-2901
Zachary TaylorZachary Taylor Department ofKYrd
1849-1850National CemeteryVeterans Affairs 3
4701 Brownsboro Road
Louisville, KY 40207
Tel. 502-893-3852
Millard FillmoreForest Lawn GroupPrivate nonprofitNYth
1850-18531411 Delaware Avenuecorporation29
Buffalo, NY 14209
Tel. 716-885-1600
Franklin PierceOld North CemeteryOld North Cemetery/NHnd
1853-1857Concord, NH 03302Pierce Manse2
Tel. 603-224-5984
James BuchananWoodward Hill CemeteryPrivate nonprofitPAth


1857-1861538 E. Strawberry Streetcorporation16
Lancaster, PA 17602
Tel. 717-295-7220

President and TermBurial Site LocationMaintenanceCong.
of OfficeDist.
Abraham LincolnLincoln TombIllinois HistoricILth
1861-1865State Historic SitePreservation Agency20
Oak Ridge Cemetery
1500 Monument Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702
Tel. 217-782-2717
Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson U.S. National ParkTNst
1865-1869National CemeteryService1
U.S. Route 411
Greenville, TN 37744
Tel. 423-638-3551
Ulysses S. GrantGeneral Grant U.S. National ParkNYth
1869-1877National MemorialndService15
Riverside Drive at W. 122
New York, NY 10027
Tel. 212-666-1640
Rutherford B. HayesRutherford Hayes HomeRutherford B. HayesOHth
1877-18811337 Hayes AvenuePresidential Center in5
Fremont, OH 43420conjunction with
Tel. 419-332-2081Ohio Historical
Society
James A. GarfieldLake View CemeteryPrivateOHth
1881-188112316 Euclid Avenue11
Cleveland, OH 44106
Tel. 216-421-2665
Chester A. ArthurAlbany Rural CemeteryNonprofitNY

1881-188512204 Cemetery Avenuecorporation21th


Albany, NY 12204
Tel. 518-463-7017
Grover ClevelandPrinceton CemeteryNassau PresbyterianNJth
1885-188929 Greenview AvenueChurch12
Princeton, NJ 08542
Tel. 609-924-1369
Benjamin HarrisonCrown Hill Cemetery thNonprofitINth
1889-1893700 West 38 Streetcorporation10
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Tel. 317-925-8231
Grover ClevelandPrinceton CemeteryNassau PresbyterianNJth


1893-189729 Greenview AvenueChurch12
Princeton, NJ 08542
Tel. 609-924-1369

President and TermBurial Site LocationMaintenanceCong.
of OfficeDist.
William McKinleyMcKinley Memorial Stark CountryOHth
1897-1901MausoleumHistorical Society16
Seventh Street N.W. and
Monument Road
Canton, Ohio 44701
Tel. 330-455-7043
Theodore RooseveltYoung’s Memorial CemeteryPrivate corporationNYrd
1901-1909Cove Road and Oyster Bay3
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Tel. 516-922-1474
William H. TaftArlington National CemeteryU.S. ArmyVAth
1909-1913Fort Myer, VA 222118
Tel. 703-695-3175
Woodrow WilsonWashington CathedralProtestant EpiscopalWash.
1913-1921Wisconsin Avenue and Cathedral FoundationDC
Woodley Road
Washington, D.C. 20016
Tel. 202-537-5550
Warren G. HardingHarding MemorialOhio HistoricalOHth
1921-1923U.S. Route 23 and VernonSociety4
Heights Boulevard
Marion, OH 43302
Tel. 740-387-9630
Calvin CoolidgePlymouth Notch CemeteryState of VermontVT

1923-1929South of Route 100AAt large


Plymouth, VT 05056
Tel. 802-672-3773
Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover U.S. National ParkIAst
1929-1933National Historical SiteService1
210 Parkside Drive
West Branch, IA 52358
Tel. 319-643-2541
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt U.S. National ParkNYnd
1933-1945National Historic SiteService22
4097 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Tel. 914-229-9115
Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman U.S. NationalMOth


1945-1953Presidential Museum and Archives and6
LibraryRecords
500 W. U.S. Route 24Administration
Independence, MO 64050
Tel. 816-833-1400

President and TermBurial Site LocationMaintenanceCong.
of OfficeDist.
Dwight D. EisenhowerEisenhower CenterU.S. NationalKSst
1953-1961S.E. Fourth StreetArchives and1
Abilene, KS 67410Records
Tel. 785-263-4751Administration
John F. KennedyArlington CemeteryU.S. ArmyVAth
1961-1963Fort Myer, VA 222118
Tel. 703-695-3175
Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. Johnson U.S. National ParkTXst
1963-1969National Historical Park Service21
Johnson City, TX 78671
Tel. 830-868-7128
Richard M. NixonRichard M. Nixon Richard M. NixonCAst
1969-1974Library and BirthplaceLibrary and41
18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.Birthplace
Yorba Linda, CA 92886Foundation
Tel. 714-993-3393
Gerald R. FordGerald R. Ford MuseumGerald R. FordMIrd
1974-1977303 Pearl Street NWFoundation3
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Tel. 616-451-9263
Jimmy CarteraTo be determined
1977-1981
Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan U.S. NationalCArd
1981-1989Presidential LibraryArchives and23
40 Presidential DriveRecords
Simi Valley, CA 93065Administration
Tel. 800-410-8354
George H. W. BushaGeorge Bush Presidential Texas A&MTXth
1989-1993Library and MuseumUniversity8

1000 George Bush Drive W.


College Station, TX 77845
Tel. 979-260-9552
William J. ClintonaTo be determined
1993-2001
George W. BushTo be determined

2001-


Source: Table data compiled by CRS.
a. Living former President.