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History: Historic Resource Documentation

Federal Stewardship of Confederate DeadNCA Federal Stewardship of Confederate Dead
Civil War-era national cemeteries were created to bury Union dead. But the U.S. government was also responsible for Confederate dead--most associated with prisoner-of-war camps. This cultural resource study examines 9 all-Confederate cemeteries and 9 national cemeteries containing the greatest number of Confederate graves. The 311-page book contains 245 illustrations (GPO 2016, ISBN 978-0-16-093255-7).




Cleaning and Caring for Government Headstones and MarkersCleaning and Caring for Government Headstones and Markers
The National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology & Training completed a study in 2011 to evaluate general cleaning needs of marble government-issued headstones.

 

 

Rostrums in National CemeteriesRostrums in National Cemeteries
Rostrums or speakers' platforms were introduced to national cemeteries in the decades after the Civil War. Of all the rostrums built between 1873 and 1956 in what are now NCA-managed properties, thirty-seven are often still the centerpiece of Memorial Day events. These structures are significant as contributing features to their historic cemetery landscapes and are a testament to commemorative traditions in the United States.



  • Rostrums Documented for the Historic American Landscapes Survey
    As components of historic cemeteries, rostrums were the subject of a research and documentation project completed in 2014 for the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS), National Park Service. The HALS Collection is housed at the Library of Congress. History reports, drawings, and photographs about the national cemetery rostrums may be found here.
  • Rostrums Over the Years – Illustrated
    This interactive timeline was developed by Mallory Bordonaro, M.A. in Public History, Central Connecticut State University, who was an NCA History Program intern in 2017-18 through the Virtual Student Federal Service program.

NCA and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and Designated National Historic LandmarksNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Plaque
Many of the oldest national cemeteries and soldiers lots managed by NCA are recognized as historically significant and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and/or designated as a National Historic Landmarks (NHL).


The "Meigs Plan" for National Cemetery LodgesThe Meigs Plan for National Cemetery Lodges
The "Meigs Plan" for National Cemetery Lodges Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs approved a standard Second Empire-style design for the superintendent lodges at national cemeteries in 1871. Historically called the "Meigs Plan," fifty-five lodges were built in this distinctive form by 1881. NCA oversees eighteen lodges today.



  • Preserving Historic Superintendent LodgesKeokuk Superintendent Lodge
    Since 2008, NCA has engaged in partnerships with the National Park Service (NPS) to help preserve some of the oldest and most significant cemetery buildings: the first permanent superintendent lodges.

 

 

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