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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 12:01PM

Doubt my information if you will
but i have actually been down there.
have you?
if you make it to the cinderblock wall you will see the hole and the dirt on the other side. then you tell me how dirt gets filled between two walls if not the vent.

this was done long long before everything was covered up as you see it today.
to quote you the sculler
"we're talking about circa late 1970s, then the entrance was basically buried by the first demolition attempt"
i was there from 1975 - 1980
i saw it all
how old were you then?

just a question what do you see at the bottum of the vent?
go to page 3 march 7th 2 pictures from diamond d rex took 3/16/10
its not only beer cans is it?
so how did the dirt get there?
i never said it was done with a backhoe but one shovel at a time.
whether this is true doesnt matter till you get there then its your problem to solve.
its not a big wall length wise is it. look at the 4th picture on page 1 posted by cary dec 23/ 09
there are no other cinderblock walls in the structure
im not here to argue
i still dont hear any explanation of where the 16 bodys were kept
one vault was empty marked 1874- 19 that was his. the other vault in the other room was hers which they left till she was moved to pohick church.
so who were the 15? where did they lay in the remeum? we have record of them being moved to ny in countless articles.
my posts are ment to help
i would dare to say i bet there are thousands who have sat in there who would agree with me.
oh yes that is fairfax county but did you live there in the 1970's?
about the two girls.
look for what you can, if there is record of it, it will be on micrifiche.
but then we are not here to disprove the two girls or the pagans who took them there are we?
your here to actually get in where ive been. right?
you will, if, you get to the first tombs you will want to see whats behind the wall many have tried.
i have no reason to lie
im just glad to see someone remembers
i do admire the research you have done.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 12:36PM

oh and yes thats exactly what fairfax county would do in 1968.
try to keep it quiet so more kids wouldnt go there and get hurt.
call in Architects to advise them to wall the major part up till she can be moved.

Federal District Court in 1968 gave Remey until April 1973 to remove anything he wanted from the mausoleum, thereafter ownership reverted to the church. Relatives had 15 burials removed to Pompey, N. Y., and by 1973, the year the building was demolished, only Remey's wife GERTRUDE was still there. Her remains were reinterred at Pohick Church before demolition began.
theres a 6 year gap
its all very sad if you think of it the woman took her own life in the first year of there marrage. no wonder he didnt want to move here.

thus the wall was put up between where her tomb (mrs remy) and the others
untill he buried her at pohick church. the front was bulldozed to block the entrance. but unlike every article says it wasnt demolished the first time, or the second time.
they are not going to turn it into a parking lot its private property and pohick church doesnt have that kind of money.
they cover it up and hope it goes away, there politicians, come on that's what they all do.
but it didnt go away and we all got in agian, just as you try now.
so they covered it up better and it worked for a while,
till now.
i dont make this stuff up

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: BB*X ()
Date: May 27, 2010 01:05PM

I tend to believe the multiple level theory since I have heard about them existing from my friends older brother and another friends older sister who actually first told us about this place. They both claim that there were multiple levels accessed by sets of stairs, next time I talk to them I will inquire as to whether they remember these being spiral stair cases or what.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 01:26PM

sculler, your proof that you need
is called process of elimination.
you eliminate the 15 bodys and where there were kept in the crypt.
then i will eliminate the claim of the fact backed up by the plans that something exists behind the wall.
you dont bury 15 bodys in two tombs
you just cant brush away 15 bodys quoted in :

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/cem/cem100.htm

you wish to think its a cosy two person crypt its up to you.

from what ive read so far it looks like everyone here is insearch of fact and truth.

you just cant find a place for those 15 now can you?

people build these things for future and past family members.
are there lower levels?
up to you to find out
but you tell me when you get to that wall, your going to stop?
will you go further?
post a pic when you get there.
we all want to see.
now stop typeing and dig.
or walk away and wonder the rest of your life.
im on your side i hope you make it
if you dont die trying or get caught.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 01:44PM

thankyou BB*X
i have never seen the plans before coming to this web sight
look for the two round things that look like steps on either side of the baha'i sanctuary, remy east, on all of the plans posted here.
some wont believe anyway.

i say, "dig and find out if you doubt"

for me its one of those been there done that your turn things.
talks cheap start digging

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: The Sculler ()
Date: May 27, 2010 02:40PM

TombRaider, you've made your point very clear: I doubted you and there's only way to know for sure...dig. I understand.

I won't be digging, not in the near future. My hat's off to those who have, you're ballsier than I am.

As for the multiple levels: a couple of people who've been down there (not myself, obviously) had said there was only one, and I had accepted that as truth after some reasoning and tales of Pagans throwing dynomite down there (which would lead to believe that everything would have collapsed in on itself). But now that I've taken a step back and reconsidered, the entire structure is in fact on a plateau that's a good 30 feet high. Could it be hollow and contain multiple levels? Now that I've reconsidered, sure, why not? It seems like it could be possible.

As for the missing girls: now that I know that the Pagans were possibly involved in their dissappearance, it's likely they weren't really missed.

As for the 15 or so bodies that were down there at one point: I'm honestly not to concerned about them, I'm really only interested with what's down there now. Judging from the diagram that Jr007 put all that hard work into, the underground portion that was accessible back in the day seems like it would hold that many, but I've never been so I don't know.

I guess I'll bite on the "one shovel at a time" idea of them filling the chambers through the flues, but it just seems to me like it would've made more sense just to collapse the whole thing.

So I apologize if I offended you when I doubted you, I just rely heavily on hard evidence. And as you've noted, this thread is pretty long and full of quite alot of claims, so establishing fact from fiction has gotten kind of exhausting for those that are really into it. However, you could argue that I'm not one to establish anything since I've never been down there and don't intend on digging. I try and contribute through this thread with what I can find on the internet and the time I spent out there back in March, but I don't have the time or the balls to dig. It seems pretty dangerous for someone armed with only a shovel.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 02:56PM

food for thought:
it took from 1939-1948 to build the remeum
more than 2 million bricks
thats 9 long years

if theres not more, what took 9 years?

the empire state building only took 1 year 45 days

Remey was an architect of international reputation.
come on guys a two room crypt would have took him 6 months to a year at most if even that.
9 years?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 03:28PM

i agree with you sculler.
in my time in highschool i could have easly got 10 teens out there at night to dig it up. in fact thats how it was done the first time.
the 15 are important because there arent that many tombs on the first level.
secondly you must factor in the 9 years to build.
i will say this im a old guy now, but if you do make it down there ever. i promise you will remember that place till the day you die.
i have watched many a person freak out down there,
you can not see your hand in front of your face. your light goes out and god help you getting out. there is no sound. and every sound you do hear will make your hair stand straight up and if you have never smelled death you will smell it there.
this was a beautiful place violated, a place of eternal rest for at least 16 people, one of whom committed suicide. this is no place for the faint at heart.

scary is quite the understatment


no offence taken by me
i hope you get to experience it

this is where we hung out

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: 496 ()
Date: May 27, 2010 03:50PM

Tomb,

You seem to be a person who may have done alot of drugs in his time. Am I on target here?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 05:48PM

sorry 496 you would be very far from your target.

even growing up in the 60's and 70s i never got into the drug thing any more than anyone else my age. i did watch many a friend destroy there life with drugs.
most people that i knew that did drugs smoked a joint or drank beer at a party on weekends once in a while and trust me they all did it. this all pales in comparison to todays standards.
we never saw the crack or heroin or cocaine or ice that the kids are into today
we spend most of our time taking girls to the crypts back then.
it was a lot less expensive than a horror movie and a hundred times more scary.
funny but you might be surprised at just how many knew and went there.
everyone knew about the dark history it had, where today you may be the only kids who know. this was a overwhelmingly popular place.
you dont ask your brothers or sisters about it ,
you ask your parents, maybe they did a lot of drugs
they were the ones who were there. it was 30-40 years ago

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 27, 2010 06:06PM

oh by the way 496:
ive read a few of your posts elsewhere you seem to have a lot of nothing to say.
you seem to have quite a lot of time on your hands too.
2824 posts wow,
are you going for a record?
others have been respectful to each other
lets try to keep it that way

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: The Sculler ()
Date: May 28, 2010 07:09AM

I overlooked/forgot that it took 9 years to build (there's a helluva lot of info on this thread, I can't keep track). But you bring up another good point when you take into account that it took 9 years to construct and that the whole structure is so high off the forest floor. The combination of the two facts would make it likely that there could be multiple levels, I should've considered it before.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: May 28, 2010 08:03AM

if i were planing to dig. i would start at the rnorth/reast end near what was called the st. andrew chapel. if you find a wall there and break threw its on the far side of the mound from the church where you have less chance to be seen and you will be going in a area that was allways covered and farthest away from any bulldozer damage/cave in. you then may just walk into a part rarely seen by many and therfore bypassing the cinderblock wall alltogether. could'nt be to hard to find if you use long metal rods to probe threw the soil till you find the structure underneith, marking what you have found as you go.then the outline will be aparent. start at the vents and probe outward a few feet at a time.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brain ()
Date: June 04, 2010 06:26PM

Just an observation. Am I correct to say that the original lay of the land was pretty flat? The aerial photos would indicate that the Remeum complex (as it sat) was originally at one overall elevation. If the memorial towers base is the basic original elevation for the entire complex, then it should be possible to take an elevation survey that could tell you how much earth was heaped onto the main burial structure - since the first attempt to bury it. Also, if you can get an accurate height measurement of the tower you should be able to use it as a guideline for distances and locations. Would it be possible to take GPS readings at some of the main points in the area, especially at the tower and vent chimneys? And then to figure out where these points are on a map?

Why would they have heaped more earth onto the location of the structure when they supposedly went in to demolish it. You would have thought they would have taken the property back down to the original surface elevation. Why do half a job. And why leave the vent chimneys if everything else was destroyed? Instead of demolishing the structure it appears they may have gone back and finished the job of burying it. Why bulldoze 10 more feet of earth onto the top of a leveled demolition, far above the surrounding land? It makes no sense to me.

If the original plot of land the Remeum sat on was flat, then take elevation readings to see how high the mound is off the original level. This will tell you if a 20? foot high structure might be buried there, under 10 feet of earth.

No digging required, and would reveal a wealth of information fairly safely. Take your binoculars and a GPS and do some innocent birdwatching.


Is the mound over the Remeums original location 30 feet higher than the original surface level?....................Cheers

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: June 07, 2010 10:57AM

everyone keeps asking, "why would they cover over the structure instead of just bulldozing it down"?
some useful history might be helpful to all of you.
when the motorcycle gang "the pegans" originaly got in that place they destroyed and desecrated it.
they destroyed caskets and vaults with bodys in them. there were small BONES and small pieces of marble scattered everywhere. the family was able to recover only partial remains of 15 bodys some of which were in urns as ashes. there are still parts of remains still in the tomb itself.

it is still a active grave that, by law, they are not able to destroy.
so it was covered over. the land wont be sold or destroyed, they just hope it will be forgotten and whats left will rest in peace.

if memory serves me well , and it was a very long time ago, walking into the woods from rt. 1 you gradually walked down into a v shaped crevasse at the mouth of the v was the entrance and the majority of the tomb was originaly dug in tward the point of the v and then buryed upon completion.it was 30 feet high at the entrance and had five underground levels tward the rear past the calvary corridor down two spiral stair cases flanking the baha'i sanctuary. the vents are the top of the original mound which was extended later on tward the obolisk. (see v shape shaded area in enclosed picture)

from what i can see by the pictures that were took here, what was burried is the open courtyard and main entrance out to the obolisk.
of course i have not been there last since the late 70s early 80s. hope i was somewhat helpful.
Attachments:
Crypt.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Why ()
Date: June 13, 2010 12:02AM

Anyone know why Bob Saget removed his posts from this thread and the urban exploration thread? I read them all night and missed some good pics. Did he get in some trouble?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Maverick ()
Date: June 13, 2010 09:43AM

I'm the guy holding the flashlight in the newspaper article posted earlier. It was after midnight around 1980-81? We just walked in with our lights off and the guy who had been there before (Chris J.) knew the barking dogs were tied up so it was nothing to worry about. The pictures show pretty much all there was to see. We decended into the main hallway and there were a few rooms and platforms where coffins would have been layed to rest. The large sarcophagus was really the only thing to see down there. I don't remember it being as large an underground structure as some of the diagrams here indicate. We only explored a few rooms. If there was more it had already been sealed off or didn't exist in the first place. The whole place was falling down back then so whatever's left underground has got to be extremely unstable. I hope they filled it in to prevent a collapse. Even then there was nothing of value down there. The artwork had all been destroyed or defaced and the structure was falling apart. It was dangerous then and, if there is any chamber left open underground it's certainly a death trap today. Be careful.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: hmmmm ()
Date: June 13, 2010 12:08PM

Why Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone know why Bob Saget removed his posts from
> this thread and the urban exploration thread? I
> read them all night and missed some good pics.
> Did he get in some trouble?
I agree. What's up w/Bob. I'd love to see this place

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: hmmmm ()
Date: June 13, 2010 12:10PM

Why Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone know why Bob Saget removed his posts from
> this thread and the urban exploration thread? I
> read them all night and missed some good pics.
> Did he get in some trouble?

I agree. What's up w/Bob. I'd love to see this place

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Contros of the Star Quyzest ()
Date: June 14, 2010 02:37AM

Shit brain indefinite! Intestinal logic gives the mind the food of Qyzar. Antidotes are a given practice in our culture but the clause of humanity states we as a people must beholden to the starship of Mother Quyzar. She make it all okay and the rings of Saturn bless us fruitfully and fitfully. And yes, we drink the urine of our loins,and it gives good delight in health store. It is a true fact. The Brothers of Quyzar all live the same age for eternity. Bless the rings of Saturn! Give unto the space breeze we blow heretofore. Cunning are the warlocks of earth. Keep watch for the mongoose neck. It despises your inner sanctum and will cut to your quick if you speak ill of your love for Quyzar.

I believe in the truth of the Fairfax. We are beginning of a new generation. We begin here in the Fairfax with the blessing of the rings of Saturn. The darlings living amongst us with Quyzar rings for delight. Dancing in merriment without shoes. And giving alms to the brothers of Quyzar. This we do constantly and forever.

We will explore the Remey Crypt with the blessing of Quyzar. The rings of Saturn will protect us from church beings and all that prohibit the sealing of our fate in these crypts of paradise. Give happiness to a man and the ceiling of his surrounding will be painted with everlasting sperm of life. We will depart for explorations soon as of the yesterday. The abandoned Remey crypts will be our life. We will explore and return with love and spread forthcoming pictures of our venture in the end times of Saturn ring no. 3. With outstretched arms we ask that Quyzar give us courage to enliven the crypt that must be ours.

With protection of the blessings, the walls of Remey crypt will face the burden of our love. Only with Quyzar may we perfect in richness and impart this mission with the gathering of the ghost of Master Remey, now inhabitant halterest of the cronos of star Quyzest. He is with us. And we shall bestow light to the darkness below.

With thankful silence to those advice of the REmey crypt. Sincerely, brothers of the Fairfax, Quyzar Tradition.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Contros of the Star Quyzest ()
Date: June 14, 2010 02:39AM

Conquest destiny undone! Intestinal logic gives the mind the food of Qyzar. Antidotes are a given practice in our culture but the clause of humanity states we as a people must beholden to the starship of Mother Quyzar. She make it all okay and the rings of Saturn bless us fruitfully and fitfully. And yes, we drink the urine of our loins,and it gives good delight in health store. It is a true fact. The Brothers of Quyzar all live the same age for eternity. Bless the rings of Saturn! Give unto the space breeze we blow heretofore. Cunning are the warlocks of earth. Keep watch for the mongoose neck. It despises your inner sanctum and will cut to your quick if you speak ill of your love for Quyzar.

I believe in the truth of the Fairfax. We are beginning of a new generation. We begin here in the Fairfax with the blessing of the rings of Saturn. The darlings living amongst us with Quyzar rings for delight. Dancing in merriment without shoes. And giving alms to the brothers of Quyzar. This we do constantly and forever.

We will explore the Remey Crypt with the blessing of Quyzar. The rings of Saturn will protect us from church beings and all that prohibit the sealing of our fate in these crypts of paradise. Give happiness to a man and the ceiling of his surrounding will be painted with everlasting sperm of life. We will depart for explorations soon as of the yesterday. The abandoned Remey crypts will be our life. We will explore and return with love and spread forthcoming pictures of our venture in the end times of Saturn ring no. 3. With outstretched arms we ask that Quyzar give us courage to enliven the crypt that must be ours.

With protection of the blessings, the walls of Remey crypt will face the burden of our love. Only with Quyzar may we perfect in richness and impart this mission with the gathering of the ghost of Master Remey, now inhabitant halterest of the cronos of star Quyzest. He is with us. And we shall bestow light to the darkness below.

With thankful silence to those advice of the REmey crypt. Sincerely, brothers of the Fairfax, Quyzar Tradition.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Maverick ()
Date: June 14, 2010 05:31PM

I went out there to look around yesterday afternoon. It looks to me like the tomb was knocked down a little and then covered over. Looks a lot like an Indian burial mound. It's overgrown a lot from the latest pictures posted here and the area with the yellow tape that protects the open hole is easy to miss. Picked up a lot of tics too. Not much to see other than the monument with the cross on it and the dedication plaques.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: TombRaider ()
Date: June 15, 2010 04:16PM

For all those wondering what the vents at the top of the mausoleum are for.
here is your answer:

The remains inside will continue to decompose. Decomposition releases gasses and fluids. The pressure from decomposition by-products will leach out . Even a sealed vault won’t be able to withstand the pressure of gas buildup over time. A properly sealed vault with a drainage and vent system will help avoid property damage, health hazards and psychological trauma that no doubt will come from a collapse or blow out.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Remyghost ()
Date: June 16, 2010 10:59AM

Go to "the library of congress" in d.c.
many things can be found AND PHOTOGRAPHED.

REMEUM:
http://lccn.loc.gov/58003332


CS71.R386 1954 (Case X) [P&P] Copy 1

unearth the truth !

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Remyghost ()
Date: June 16, 2010 12:52PM

The mystery yet to be solved is a strange death of

Gertrude Heim Klemm mason remy

for whome the remeum was built

why did charles's life fall apart after?
and so with it the remeum !

why does he not lie next to his loving bride of one year in pohick church cemetary?

why does he lay next to his young secretary in florence italy at the age of 99?

some interesting reading :o

http://www.fictionaut.com/stories/matt-briggs/a-well-dressed-woman-of-recent-
times.pdf

some ghosts of the past never rest in peace
Attachments:
gertrude.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Remyghost ()
Date: June 16, 2010 01:03PM

www.fictionaut.com/stories/matt-briggs/a-well-dressed-woman-of-recent-times.pdf

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Visitor ()
Date: July 16, 2010 03:18PM

I lived in Lorton for a short time during jr. high school. We used to walk up to this place and down the dirt road entrance. It was probably around 1980. It had been bulldozed by then but you could crawl through two holes near the tops of the large doors. You then had to crawl down into they crypt. We encountered people in there from time to time drinking and smoking pot and hanging out. Everyone was friendly--as long as you weren't the cops! People knew it was a place which attracted curiosity seekers.

It's a shame that place wasn't restored and preserved. It would have been a good place to get away for quiet thinking/meditation/prayer away from the hustle and bustle of DC life. I think Pohick Church missed a golden opportunity. They probably could have gotten private and federal and state grants to do the work and then charged a fee for entrance. Could have been a money-maker for them.

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The Remey Crypy in 1980
Posted by: nrhader ()
Date: September 28, 2010 07:35PM

I recall the Remey Crypt in 1980, access was through a wall at a cemetery, you needed to climb on top of the wall, and then with ladders (which were already there), you climbed down into the crypt.

Everyone in our highschool knew of this place, I used to explore what little I could, as I remember the first stop was a room with nothing, the second one back was a room with a round table (coated with candlewax) and beautiful artwork on the walls.

After that it was against advice to proceed any further.

The cops loved to ruin it for people. to this day I remember hearing one of my friends calling me to come back out, when I did the Police were there and asked me how many people were inside, my friend had been pulled out by the police a few minutes earlier, I told them that I was exploring nobody else was there, this of course was not true, we had 5 people still hanging out in the second room.

The cops were pretty smart, they called down there and they tried to sound like me, these words ring immortal "Hey Guys Mark got some beer and bonghits"

The people inside were not paying attention, we didn't talk like that, instead they started to come up the ladder and as they did a search and arrest was waiting.

Today's been a strange day, for some reason I thought about this place, I was coming up blank on searches and finally found this website, if I knew the official name it would have been better.

To me the Remey Crypt was an awesome party place, the first place I had my first beer, first girl, and oh so many friends.

As an adult I'd pay money to look in there, too bad they sealed it up, I recall the news coming over that "Pegans were using it and the police set off Dynamite to seal the entrance".

For all the people who live near there, don't let the place end up a forgotten memory, always pass the stories along.

-- Nick

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: mattttttttttttttttttt ()
Date: September 29, 2010 02:08AM

So whats the link to that photobucket album?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: FFXPD ()
Date: October 02, 2010 12:43AM

see, i'm not a cop and i can call myself FFXPD too. it's actually FCPD dipshit fake cop.
anyways. for all you people who want to excavate, for the fake cop i'm going to say I WON'T so he wont call the police with his rape whistle. anyways. i examined the structural diagrams of the building and i have determined that the remy crypt was PRACTICALLY INDESTRUCTABLE at the time it was 'demolished' first. after a long time underground a section of the roof gave way and created the pit surrounded by the caution tape. the mere fact that there was a cave in proves that the remy crypt is still very much intact and has not been filled completely or even mostly with dirt or rubble. the size of the cave in was quite extensive. five feet wide square and ten deep.
the air vent filled with dirt is easily explainable. the room beneath the air vent is not filled in. to make burrying the vents posible metal caps are welded over the bottom so dirt will not filter down. it is also to prevent wildlife from infesting the subterrainian structure. over time sediment and such gathered in the air vent. dust from moving heavy machinery around could easily account for that, i also found a beercan from 1995 in the top of one.
the second 'demolishion' as they call it was actually a very minor change. they only plowed a couple tons of dirt over the '91' entrance. the tower still stands in the middle of the woods which suggests to me that no demolishion took place during either of the 'demolisions'. if the church didnt want people trespassing on thier property, which is perfectly legal btw because a church is a public area. then they would have gotten rid of the awesome tower in the woods that several THOUSAND people have visited since the crypt was burried.
despite the fact that the remium is almost definitely intact beneath the ground i believe it should remain buried for several reasons
1. the structural integrity is questionable due to being buried for several decades
2. it serves as a warning to other excentric rich people who want to build a tomb bigger than my dick
3. unless it was fully restored and secured it would just relapse back into a hangout where people smoked pot and drank beer. in modern fairfax county nobody needs that. if it were in VArun or woodbridge then it would be a different story
all in all the remy crypts are a forgotten thing old enough to fade from memory but new enough to not be historic. though i take much interest in circa WWII tombs i must use judgement to say that it would be foolish to spend millions of dollars to excavate somthing that represents a waste of millions of dollars

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Blackbeard ()
Date: October 04, 2010 06:30PM

One way to determine if multiple levels exist or existed is with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Used to determine objects buried at different depths. It also would show where/if the ground had previously been disturbed. So even if the entire crypt was caved in - you would still be able to determine the levels. Expensive but you could probably get someone local to come out or find a University with an archeology department.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Prothal ()
Date: October 12, 2010 02:47PM

I could spent a week reading all this thread. I stumbled in here while trying to find info on a place we used to call the "Crypt" back in the 70s. I've told stories to folks here in Texas about how we explored that place, most thought I lied. It's great to see SO many people interested in it.

BTW as of page 3 of this thread the 2nd pic. titled blue1.jpg is accurate. The inset referred to as "91" was the entrance we used but was not so overgrown then. I visited there at least 3 times between 74'& 77' and those 3 shots attributed to a High School web site look like they may have been shot by a friend of mine. As far as the unground entrance location it would be 30-40 ft SSW from the brick vents in a straight line towards the obelisk and of course down a slope. In my day that was the northern wall of the inner atrium so we had to walk around. keep in mind the the 1st underground chamber was on ground level and the hill covering appeared man made about 30' high. One had to climb up a pile of rubble pushed there by bulldozers slip under the top of a archway then climb down the other side thru a smaller archway. My memories of the 70s are quite fuzzy as you might imagine but I will never forget THAT place. We only had to contend with tall grass & weeds with a few small trees near the walls. The pic PohickCrypts1.jpg is very much how it was then except without so much growth. Just as you guys are.. we were VERY interested in that cinder block wall inside, when we saw it, it looked VERY new, also only the southern most vent was visible in the ceiling near that wall. That meant the other vent went to a chamber behind the wall weather finished or not. If one takes into account however the size of the mound before all those trees cover it, it's obvious the under ground part should be twice the size of what we explored, BUT certainly no where NEAR as large as shown in the plans. As far sub-levels any entrance to such would have had to be behind the new wall.. AND there was no large slab anywhere that could have concealed one. The post earlier by someone who claims to have covered just such a hole was smoking something stronger than we had! LOL! Like I said earlier.. I went there multiple times, on one trip we took light cameras & strobe equipment and shot at least one roll of film AND had a very scary event happen on another trip. I'll post more about that later if this thread remains alive.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Hayfield Harry ()
Date: November 09, 2010 12:20AM

Washington DC November 8th, 2010

I was a freshmen in 1971 at TC Williams HS in Alexandria and after that year we moved to Hayfield Farms off Telegraph Road across from Hayfield HS. My junior year there was a big fuss by the Seniors because the Pohick Church had demolished the entrance to the underground part of the 'Crypts.'

Alot of kids from Hayfield, Lee, Edison, Groveton, and Mt. Vernon used to party there. There was a dumpy motel, I think they called it a Motor Court where Telegraph Road connected to Route 1 across from the Church. You could literally rent a room for an hour if you looked old enough. Then, about maybe half a football filed south on Route 1 was an old country store that was right at the corner of Pohick Road and Route One.

About a mile down on the right side was the Moose Lodge and further up on the left just past Gunston Road was the old Hillbilly Heaven Bar/Dive that old Earl Dixon owned. His daughter Donna was in one of my classes. She later married Dan Aykroyd.

The Pagans never partied anywhere near the Crypts but ironically had a club house about a half a mile south on Route One towards the turn off for Lorton Road. Their hang out was a bar up Route One near where Backlick Road intersected with Route One in the Tiny village of Accotink which still exists near the Woods Gate to Fort Belvioir. The name of the bar was the Belvoir Grill. Its now just a vacant lot.

In fact, the Pagans would gas up at the Hess Station that was on the intersection of Backlick and Route One.

The Crypts could only be gotten into by the entrance crawling through and down into the first chamber. There was only that area of 5 rooms and at the back was the cinder-block wall which someone had punched a hole in, not big enough to crawl through, but you might be able to stick your arm through. There was space behind it, but no telling how far or deep it was.

Stumpy was always prowling around on the weekends especially. He did carry and old shotgun with rock salt as more than one person ended up with a sore butt or back from getting shot at. Of course you also had to out run his mutts.

Hard to believe that all this time has gone by. yeah, I too partied in the Crypts, it was a rite of passage back then just like outrunning Fairfax cops in the huge gravel pits behind Hayfield H. S. Often times we end up over on Beluah Road by that 7 11.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: darkstar ()
Date: November 12, 2010 01:22PM

I lived in the Lorton area back in the 1970's and attended Hayfield H.S. I went to the Remey Crypts a few times.

I have three photos of the place that I took in 1978 with an old 110 Instamatic Camera. I do not know how much help they will be but I thought I would add them to the topic.

Earlier in this topic I saw where someone mentioned the Hugononts engraving that was located within one of the brick walls of the courtyard. The first photo depicts that engraving. The other two photos were taken while sitting on top of a mound of dirt that had been pushed there to conceal the crypts below. From where I was sitting I had my legs dangling over the wall that overlooked the courtyard. Behind me would have been the entrance hole where people were going into the crypt at that time.

As you can see in the photos the bulldozing of the place had begun to take some of the outside pillars down and a huge mound of dirt was piling up and beginning to drain off into the courtyard. The fill dirt is mixed with trash, concrete, bricks and mortar.

Someone mentioned the little store located on the corner of Route 1 and Pohick Road that was called the "Quick Stop Market". It still had the same name the last time I was in the area back in 1998.

I went to high school with a guy who lived on Route 1 almost across the street from Pohick Church. He went in the Crypt many, many times. When I came upon this topic I phoned his widow who told me that he had ventured way back inside the crypt. Further than I ever went. She said she never went as far as he did but she said he did mention there were additional rooms but she couldn't recall if he ever mentioned the crypt having multiple levels.

I remember one story that I was told back in the 1970's. Supposedly there was a glass coffin inside an oval shaped room. There was a body inside the coffin and he was dressed in uniform and had a sword. Someone broke the glass and the body turned to dust. The person who broke the glass coffin made off with the sword. Personally, I never saw this glass coffin or the remains of it but that was one of the stories that was passed around.

I appreciate all of the photos and research that people have posted on this thread. Very interesting!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2010 10:01PM by darkstar.
Attachments:
Remey Crypt 001.png
Remey Crypt 002.png
Remey Crypt 003.png

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Hayfield Farm Gun Club ()
Date: November 13, 2010 12:31PM

This is an amazing thread! I moved to the area in the late 80s and was into weirdness in general. Where I grew up before VA, we had all sorts of cool crap to explore in the mountains and jungles, but in VA all we ever explored was the bunnyman bridge, some creepy abandoned houses in PWC, and someplace in Clifton that people (erroneously, I think) called a POW camp. We never knew about anything as incredible as these crypts.

Thanks to everyone who has posted stories, analysis, and photographs. Truly great stuff here. It saddens me to think that such a wonderful structure was demolished.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: December 12, 2010 11:54PM

WASHINGTON DC
DEC 12 2010

I am a freelance journalist who is writing a story about urban legends and ran across this forum and its accompanying threads quite by accident.

I've completely fascinated by this tale & have started to research it. My first stop was The Virgina Room, of the Fairfax City Library which contains interestingly enough a good deal of material on not only Mr. Charles Remey, but the 'Remeum' as well.

Apparently this gentleman was a rather significant player in the Washington DC high society set in the 1930's & 40's. The Mansion he built for himself is now the home of the Embassy of Mexico's Cnahcery Annex & ambassador's residence on Massachusetts Avenue NW near DuPont Circle. His father, Admiral Remey and his mother along with his brother-in-law, are buried in Section 15, at Arlington National Cemetery.

Further research at the Library of Congress also turned up some interesting facts. One of which was that the blueprints for the Tomb & Mausoleum still exist and the complete set are retained by the Baha'i Sect he belonged to in Florence, Italy, where he died in 1974 just short of his 100th birthday.

What I have been able to establish is that the tomb is huge, and while 3 levels is not levels as one would think of in terms of stay traditional stories. Rather it is a set of three levels in gradual elevation not unlike say a swimming pool which progresses from a shallow to a deep end. I've been able to verify that access was in fact blocked by the spring of 1968 to the deeper recesses of the Remeum thus the portions that you witness seeing here in the pictures coupled with the stories would have been at the leading edge of "shallow" end if you will near the main entrance.

Once I have been able to fully realise the extent of my research I'll write the story and then post it here. I intend to also leave a copy of it with the Fairfax City Public Library along with a Creative Commons Copyright Licence for thsoe interested in republishing or posting it elsewhere.

If you have any information, pictures, documentation, that you'd like to share with me or swap sources, please feel free to contact me at theroadtraveler@gmail.com.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque
BL Freelance News Service
Washington DC

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Hayfield Farm Gun Club ()
Date: December 16, 2010 06:20PM

Brody:

This is good to hear. I look forward to reading your article.

What other stories or places are you writing about?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: The Sculler ()
Date: December 17, 2010 07:41AM

+1

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: William Howard Taft ()
Date: December 17, 2010 06:25PM


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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Date: December 23, 2010 06:49PM

Just a thought.. I noticed the cleared areas in the 1960's images don't show any clearing other than what was done directly around the visible structure. I wonder if Remey's sketch is not meant to be a linear blueprint, but is instead a blowout view of both floors meant to be stacked on a light table, either the underground layer was to be cut free and rotated to line up, or simply folded under.. Because if so, that might mean the entire structure does exist, and it would account for all the time and materials reported.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2010 06:53PM by William Howard Taft.
Attachments:
Remey Layers 2.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Hayfield Farm Gun Club ()
Date: December 23, 2010 09:54PM

Shit...

In the context of traditional church architecture, that actually makes more sense than the two forming a linear structure. The linear presentation is so off balance and architecturally jarring.

The cruciform layout lines up perfectly: transepts as well as the apses. The red side makes far more sense as a crypt level.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Date: December 24, 2010 04:07AM

I agree completely, "architecturally jarring" is perfect to describe what I was feeling.. Lo, I have produced a better version.
Attachments:
Remeum Detail Folded.jpg
Remeum Detail Rotation.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Date: December 24, 2010 04:10AM

I first heard about "the crypt" in high school, probably 1993. I was at a friend's house in the Marumsco area of Woodbridge, his mom told us about it when I was driving her someplace. She was definitely the type who would have hung out with the bad boys in the 70's so now I imagine she might have been in there a few times. She said there was a "platinum boat" floating in a pool of water at the bottom of a really huge deep crypt somewhere in Fairfax. The challenge to scare the hell out of people was to have them walk all the way to the bottom past all the dead people with just a candle. It sounded sort of over the top and local-legendy to me, but she kind of half heartedly said "no man, it was really there", and left it at that..

Jump forward a few years and I discovered the existence of "The Remeum" while looking for info about the earlier Occoquan Pohick Church in the Virginiana room at PWC Central. I went out to Pohick with my girlfriend and we puttered around in the cemetery a bit. While we were checking out the carvings on the doorposts the caretaker came out. He liked that I was into the history, so he showed us around the inside of the church and pointed out a few of the interesting bits, talked about the days it was used as a horse stable, said they'd accidentally dug up quite a lot of people building the annex several years back. I said I'd heard there was a fantastic mausoleum somewhere on the grounds with beautiful statues, but it had been vandalized and was demolished. I had no idea at that point there was actually a significant structure, I thought it had been more like a walled garden with a gazebo.. He said "oh no, it's all still there--we just buried it." THAT statement is what really got me interested.

I never really felt much of a serious connection between that story and this mausoleum until I found this thread and saw the pictures and architectural drawings. Now I'm thinking maybe that Platinum Boat might have been a lead casket, way back beyond the cinder block wall.. Or something weirder..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2010 04:11AM by William Howard Taft.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Hayfield Farm Gun Club ()
Date: December 24, 2010 08:43AM

Aha! Note the spiral staircases at either side of the sanctuary. Staircases can only mean one thing.

Have you poked around any churches in Europe? Or locally, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in DC (or even cooler the monastery down the road from it with its crypt level, catacombs, and its mosaic skeletons). This is a pretty classic crypt level, which makes sense given Remey's time abroad.

He was a well-regarded architect and I think the logical layout is that the blueprints represent multiple levels. Excellent work, Taft.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: G ()
Date: December 24, 2010 10:19AM

Interesting theory on the architectural layout, but it's already known from the photos and stories that one entered the initial chamber through the arched entranceway, which would have been part of the "narthex" structure; one didn't double back in the opposite direction once inside. The two rectangular blocks in front of the narthex are likely the "sleeping lions" mentioned in one of the newspaper articles and shown in the photos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthex

The spiral staircases look like they might have been the way to access the "Baha'i Sanctuary" space; other staircases are visible on the plans, such as on either side of the "Military Memorial Chamber", verifying the existence of (or plans for) sublevels or sunken rooms. Who knows how much of this was actually built; the accounts of the Church rejecting plans for expansion in 1958-62 seem to verify that it was never completed.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: December 27, 2010 11:52PM

Washington DC DEC 27 |

Subj: Preliminary Construction Details- Remeum

Construction, which commenced in the spring of 1939, called for excavation of a graded area, in a set of three distinct grades to a depth of 35 feet. This meant a finished grade of thirty feet and five feet to grade for foundational footings. [ This was set for the measurement specs for the Baha'i Sanctuary with to grade specs of 12 feet to cap and 3 feet for footings at the opposite end, entrance level/access from the courtyard gardens.

This was also linear in design. Given the amount of weight of the earth that would conceal the vaulted crypt area above, allowances were so specified in the final designs. As the floor plans detail, there are set levels, stepped, not unlike a swimming pool as an analogous comparison- the Baha'i Sanctuary being the deep end if you will.

Construction was excavation, concrete footings were poured, then plumbing and electrical roughed in, final masonry work to construct vaults, tombs, chapels, common areas, and then reburial of complex. [ It should be noted that by 1960- which the aerial photos show quite clearly, there is a reclamation by flora and reforestation over a large percentage of the site.

According to notes left by Mr. Remey, which are currently in his adopted son's collection of personal papers in Florence, Italy, the final touches on major construction on the underground complex were finished by late fall of 1948. The outer courtyards were constructed and walls were finished by the spring of 1950, the same year he departed to supervise the construction of the Baha'i Temple Of Justice in Haifa, Israel.

There was ongoing finishing work in th outdoor atrium/gardens, coupled with masonry/sculpture work being finished in the various rooms and chapels of the underground complex. [ In reference: The room marked storage contained a generator and principal power (electrical) access.] There was power throughout the complex for a lighting system.

What caused the rupture in the agreement between the vestry of the Pohick Church and Remey was not the complex which was finished & hidden from view owing to its being located underground. It was discovery of his plans to add a two story structure behind the crypt's principal entrance, which was incorporated into the original plans but had not been presented until the initial phase had been completed. This temple looking structure would have been located directly over the top of the Baha'i Sanctuary, and indeed faintly resembled the top two levels of the tower of the George Washington Masonic Temple located 7 miles north in Alexandria.

The addition of this building would have dwarfed the neighboring Pohick Church, and due to the elevation, would have made this structure visible in all directions up to three miles. [ There are draftsman drawings of this located in the rare book collections, REMEY, Charles W. at The Virginia Room, of the Fairfax County Public Library's Fairfax City branch.]

Once the Church learned of these plans in the summer of 1957, they immediately sought to break the 1937 agreement. They also sought an injunction in the Circuit Court for the County of Fairfax to halt any further construction.

Through a series of legal maneuvering, the case found its way into Federal Court District Court, culminating in the final agreement nearly 8 years later which led to Remey's vacating the property and receding it back to the Truro Parish/ Pohick.
It should be noted also that the trust fund set aside by Remey to defray security costs, maintenance considerations, and expenses incurred by Truro Parish/Pohick insofar as the Remeum was concerned had dwindled to a negative by 1960 and actually was running a deficit.

There will be more details and in greater depth as research continues.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque
BL Freelance News Service
Washington DC

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Huntington ()
Date: December 28, 2010 12:13AM

I think this thread is so interesting, I love when I see it updated. Thanks to everyone who continues to look in to it. Anything with local history gets me hooked.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: CWJ ()
Date: January 09, 2011 08:55AM

I am a longtime res. of the Mt Vernon,Lorton area. Always knew about "The Crypts" and visited there one time in 1980. One thing that I remember from my visit that truely alarmed me, and I always wondered about was the marble reliefs (picture carvings) on the courtyard walls. In all of the entries here, I have seen a good picture of only one. I remember a picture of a slave trader beating a slave on the deck of a ship. The man had a whip in his rt hand and a chain that was around the slave's neck in the other. This picture has been imprinted in my mind for years. I had always speculated that the place was destroyed possibly because of some of the depictitions on the property. Does anyone know about the artist of these works, or where I can see clear pictures of all of them. Did Remey have desendates from the slave trade. From 1968 to 1980 the american people were in the process of dealing with racism. It has been a very longtime. I may be partly mistaken. If you know anything pertaining to the carvings please write.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: darkstar ()
Date: January 11, 2011 01:12PM

Thank you for the new posts on this topic. I find the information fascinating.

It seems Charles Remey was a very public person as you can find several volumes of documentation that he wrote in his life time scared on different sites on line. In Remey's last will and testament dated August 29 1963 he said he didn't care where he was buried and left the decision up to his soon to be adopted son, Pepe.

Pepe died in 1994 and there could be information in regards to the Remeum in Pepe's estate.

Charles Mason Remey's Last Will and Testament

Dott. Proc. Giuseppe Pedone
Notaio in Milano
20121
- via Broletto, 37

Florence, Italy
29 August 1963 A.D.

I- I, Charles Mason Remey, U.S. citizen of Washington, D.C., born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 15th, 1874, being of sound physical and mental health do hereby declare this to be my last Will and Testament hereby revoking any previous Will and Testament heretofore made by me.

February 13, 1922 at Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A. be the executor of my estate.(Orthodox council Administration]
Charles Mason Remey

III- I bequeath to Joseph (Giuseppe) Pepe, Jr. everything tangible [the Orthodox Council Administrative Society] and intangible [Abha Nyorai Melchizedek Divan Prophethood Guardianship] that I possess and may be entitled to.

IV- As for the burial of my remains, I leave this entirely in the hands of Joseph Pepe Jr.

V- Any rights, outlined in the agreement between myself and the Pohick Church at Pohick, Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.A. which shall continue on after my death, I [transfer] onto Joseph Pepe Jr., whom I am adopting as my legal son and heir. I authorize Joseph Pepe Jr. to act in my behalf in the upkeep, arrangement or transfer of remains from the "Remeum" to any other place he may deem necessary for their safety.

Charles Mason Remey

http://web.archive.org/web/20020210172631/www.lelandjensen.net/html/cmr/adoption.htm

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: SILLYDAWG ()
Date: January 12, 2011 11:35AM

my sister shannon is so kewl for telling me about this.....

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: The Sculler ()
Date: January 12, 2011 12:06PM

William Howard Taft Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I first heard about "the crypt" in high school,
> probably 1993. I was at a friend's house in the
> Marumsco area of Woodbridge, his mom told us about
> it when I was driving her someplace. She was
> definitely the type who would have hung out with
> the bad boys in the 70's so now I imagine she
> might have been in there a few times. She said
> there was a "platinum boat" floating in a pool of
> water at the bottom of a really huge deep crypt
> somewhere in Fairfax. The challenge to scare the
> hell out of people was to have them walk all the
> way to the bottom past all the dead people with
> just a candle. It sounded sort of over the top and
> local-legendy to me, but she kind of half
> heartedly said "no man, it was really there", and
> left it at that..
>
> Jump forward a few years and I discovered the
> existence of "The Remeum" while looking for info
> about the earlier Occoquan Pohick Church in the
> Virginiana room at PWC Central. I went out to
> Pohick with my girlfriend and we puttered around
> in the cemetery a bit. While we were checking out
> the carvings on the doorposts the caretaker came
> out. He liked that I was into the history, so he
> showed us around the inside of the church and
> pointed out a few of the interesting bits, talked
> about the days it was used as a horse stable, said
> they'd accidentally dug up quite a lot of people
> building the annex several years back. I said I'd
> heard there was a fantastic mausoleum somewhere on
> the grounds with beautiful statues, but it had
> been vandalized and was demolished. I had no idea
> at that point there was actually a significant
> structure, I thought it had been more like a
> walled garden with a gazebo.. He said "oh no, it's
> all still there--we just buried it." THAT
> statement is what really got me interested.
>
> I never really felt much of a serious connection
> between that story and this mausoleum until I
> found this thread and saw the pictures and
> architectural drawings. Now I'm thinking maybe
> that Platinum Boat might have been a lead casket,
> way back beyond the cinder block wall.. Or
> something weirder..

"It's all still there--we just buried it."

That really gets my attention. Churches are not short on cash, we know they've got plenty of it and they love it. Why not spend the money to dig it up, polish it up, make sure it's safe, and charge $10 a head? They'd get their money back and then some!

Letting it rot underground is such a travisty (sp?), it makes me sick.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Jewel ()
Date: January 20, 2011 10:06PM

I attended Lee High school in the late 70s and everyone knew about the crypts. Our older brothers and sisters passed down all kinds of stories about them, some that I remember are:

*The caretaker lived in a house next to the crypts and was called Stumpy because he had no legs below his knees, just a board nailed between his stumps. He got around in a wheel chair pulled by mad dogs who he would sic on kids who walked down the gravel road to the crypts at night. He also had a shot gun loaded with rock salt.

*The statue of Admiral Remey had it's head stolen by some kid from a neighboring school. The kid was then killed by being decapitated in a car accident.

*The crypts were vast with several levels, almost everyone knew "some guy" who had been down to the lower levels using a secret door in the floor. no one could find the door.

*The crypts extended out under Pohick Road.

*Hell's Angels (or the Pagans) had blown up the crypts with dynamite after the cops bothered them too many times while partying there.

*There was still a woman and her baby in one of the sarcophagi.

*Admiral Remey would haunt anyone who disturbed the crypts.

*There was an on site crematorium, you could still see the chimneys from it.

*People who hung out at the crypts were called crypt crawlers.

About a year after I graduated, my friend Mcgoo and I were talking about all the legends about the crypts and really anted to go see them. We were good kids though (mostly) and we didn't want to get shot, or more likely arrested, because we had heard plenty of stories of kids getting caught by cops or having close calls with them. I said "Why don't we just go ask if we can see them?"

We parked in the church parking lot and took a look at the older gravestones there. No one seemed to be around to care about our being parked there so we cut through to the gravel road to the crypts. Along the road were big marble columns, laying on their side in stacks of three or four, along with some other big piles of building materials. They looked like they had been there fro quite some time, bushes and plants had grown up around them. We walked up to the caretaker's house (Stumpy's) and knocked on the door.

A really nice younger guy (in his late 20s or 30s) came out to talk to us. his wife was making dinner in the background and his dogs (golden retrievers I think) barked once or twice but calmed down and were friendly once he spoke to them. We asked him if we could look at the tomb and he laughed and said no one had ever asked permission before. He called to his daughter (about 8 to 10 years old with a pageboy hair cut) and gave us two flashlights and told her to walk us over to where they were. He asked that we return the flashlight when we were finished.

She took us over and we walked around the outside of the tomb looking at the sculptures. There was one of the Remey family coming over on the Mayflower, one of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. We went over and looked the the big brick cross on the other end of the field and read the inscription, we didn't notice the bench or survey markers, it was summer I think and they may have been over grown. I would love to see a picture of the bench.

After a while we wandered back to the front of the crypts and up to the entrance where it was half buried with a gap right under the arch. The kid got bored and wandered back home. we decided that the caretaker had probably figured we were going to try and go inside, after all he had loaned us flashlights, so we scrambled up the dirt mound and climbed under the arch. My friend went first and told me to be careful, I had to ease over the top of an ornate iron gate. He said there was a ladder to climb down and guided my foot so I wouldn't fall. When I got to the bottom and looked back at the gate I realized that it was no ladder, it was the bottom of a destroyed coffin and we had climbed down the ribs on it.

The first thing I noticed about the crypt was how destroyed it was. Th floor was about one to two feet deep in debris and water. The walls were beat up and cracked in some places, as was the ceiling. the top part of the walls and ceiling were black and it really did look like someone had set off dynamite in there. There were carved panels on the walls like outside but they were demolished. I remember one towards the back left looking from the entryway was a carving of French Huguenots landing in a row boat. Bits of it were all over the floor, I picked up part of a hand holding an oar,the bottom half of a face and a bit of carved robe. There were large stone sarcophagi in the four rooms off the sides of the entry way and back hall. One had no lid but one was a woman lying down holding a baby. They were huge there was no way anyone could have moved them without equipment.

All over the floor were beer cans, roach buts and trash along with chunks of marble and bricks. There was standing water but you could step over it in most places. The statue of Admiral Remey and his wife kneeling at his feet (wtf?) was centered in the main room. He was headless as legend said, there were candle burm marks on the statues, and candle drippings. There was a bit of grafitti on the walls but I can't remember any of it.

In the back hallway there was an arch which had been sealed with concrete block. there were signs of people who had tried to break through it, at one point there was a hole that showed a bit of red clay earth behind it. We figured it was kids trying to break through and find the other levels. When we walked around behind it later we figured they were just a legend because there was no way that it went back any further, the hillock it was buried under ended right behind where we figured that blocked doorway was. Its kind of exciting to think that it may have been a descending tomb as others had proposed. If that was true may be it did extend all the way out under Pohick Road.

I went back to show it to a friend in the late 80s and it had all been plowed over. Such a shame it was a beautiful and solemn place despite its abuse. From the height of the hill now there and the two chimneys sticking up from it, I figure they did not collapse it, it looks like they just dumped earth over it and smoothed it down with bulldozers. The picture of the present day digging at the sight sure looks like the top of the wall over the arch, I remember it having a cement cap like that.

I hope that when Virginia gets its budget straightened out that they would think about funding an archeological dig and restoration there. It certainly was a big part of a lot of people's history and I would love to tour it restored. I would think that it could be a bit of a money maker for the old parish. I would even be happy to bring back my marble bits so they could reassemble the Huguenot carving.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Huntington ()
Date: January 20, 2011 11:06PM

Ahh, Mrs. Remey was kneeling, that explains the weird size of the statues. That image has always bothered me, but that makes sense now. The statue made her look like Cotton Hill from "King of the Hill", "I got no knees". No disrespect intended. Maybe it was supposed to be a representation of praying or their marriage vows?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: JackdUpFord ()
Date: January 20, 2011 11:09PM

I killed fitty men.

Oh I love KOTH

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Jewel ()
Date: January 22, 2011 01:27AM

I think the story of Mrs. Remey is very sad. He apparently married her for her money. The story is that she committed suicide during the first year of their marriage and left him millions. Since he is the one who commissioned the statues, I feel the fact that she is kneeling is a bit telling. I think his attitude towards her is evident in that he moved all his other relatives to a graveyard in New York while he left his wife's body there for the church to bury.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Rick ()
Date: January 23, 2011 11:16PM

Went to check it out today but no tresspassing signs everywhere. Would have gone in anyway in the old days but wasn't drunk or high enough to risk it!

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 23, 2011 11:29PM

Washington DC JAN 23 |

re: Jewel's quote: "The story is that she committed suicide during the first year of their marriage and left him millions."

During the course of the research into the history of not only the Remeum, but Mason Remey and his family, there have been absolutely no established documents that would lend credence to that quote.

The estate left him under the terms of her will which is still on file with the District of Columbia's Superior Court mentions sums considerably less. Mason Remey's wealth stemmed from his mother's estate and a to a lessor degree, monies derived from the Admiral's estate.

Given the fact that the Great Depression was already a factor, the Remey family was fortunate in that regard as their monies had not been tied up in stocks or investments that had been negatively affected by the crash of 1929 and the economic downturn that resulted. In fact, much of the family's wealth was held in trust by New York banking houses that had not been affected by the financial collapses that led to the Great Depression.

Another oddity was the disparity in the ages. He was 57 in 1932 when he married Gertrude Heim Klemm. She was in her early thirties. Little is known about their relationship, and Remey never married again. It has been verified that she killed herself although the exact reason is not clear.

Finally, movement of the bodies other deceased family members to New York was carried out by a relative by marriage and not by Mason Remey. At the time of the disinterments, he was living in extremely poor health in Florence, Italy, and in fact was to die lass than four years after the bodies had been moved. The reburial of his wife was done at the behest of his adopted son.

Under the terms of the final court order by the Federal Court for the Northern District Of Virginia in Alexandria in the spring of 1968, Remey or his assigned representatives were given 5 years to effect vacating the Remeum at which time the Truro Parish's Pohick Church would regain control of the site.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque
http://chasinglosthistory.blogspot.com/2010/12/remeum-memorial-tomb-urban-legend-in.html

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Mike C ()
Date: January 24, 2011 05:25PM

Hey everybody:

I'm a local reporter and I'm looking to do a story about the Remeum. I've been down to the Virginia Room in Fairfax and have looked through a lot of the documentation, but I'd like to find a few people knowledgeable about the history of the mausoleum to fill in gaps in the information I have (and lend some interesting quotes).

I'm not terribly interested in stories of hanging out with your friends and how spooky it was, or urban legends or anything that is hearsay. I'd like to speak with people who actually know the history.

I've looked through the posts above and will likely contact a few of your directly. But if anybody has a good lead or good source, please let me know.

Thanks!

Mike

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Bill ()
Date: January 24, 2011 09:32PM

Brody, I see that you write a lot on LGBT subjects. What's the connection with the Remey story?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: JackdUpFord ()
Date: January 24, 2011 09:39PM

Here is the writers info and some stuff he has written. I haven't read any, but just figured I'd post it up: http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/users/mike-conway

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: aaaaarrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh ()
Date: January 24, 2011 09:44PM

A writer for Patch.com? Fuck that shit.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 25, 2011 07:51PM

Washington DC JAN 25 |

Dear Bill,

I write actually on mainstream, LGBTQ, and other news bits but as a political journalist not writing on technology, science, as those subjects are not my bailiwick.

I did minor in history when I matriculated at San Francisco City College, and later at UCSF nearly 33 years ago, but honestly, as my principal academic discipline and chosen career field was/is journalism I cannot lay claim to even being an 'amateur' historian.

What started this research was a conversation with a dear friend who grew up in the NOVA area and attended school there. Apparently, the urban legend that was 'the crypts' fascinated folk including him, who is acquainted with someone who apparently participated in several 'gatherings' there during its heyday in the mid 1970's.

What struck me, was once he showed me this thread and its accompanying stories, was the fact that there were so many questions, but no hard answers. Bill? There is no greater challenge to a journalist than that scenario.

For example, Charles Mason Remey was, to say the least, an egotistical eccentric who traveled in the rarefied air that was Washington's high society. His friends were often derisively referred to by the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, as "cave dwellers." A note here, his home on Massachusetts Avenue that he designed and built is now the Chancery Annex to the Embassy of Mexico.

When he was a young architectural student, he lived as a very welcome guest in the Parisian apartment of Phoebe Apperson Hearst, mother of newspaper magnate and publisher William Randolph Hearst and patron of the University Of California. In fact, it was there he first encountered the Baha'i faith that later became the central critical component to his adult life until his passage in Florence, Italy.

I could go on but that would overwhelm this thread, so instead I set-up a blog to document the facts as I went along.

It is a fascinating story Bill. There are so many aspects to it aside from the Remeum itself. Which of course begs an answer to this central question: Why would Mason Remey invest over a million dollars in the construction of this magnificent and massive structure, and then walk away from it?

Bottom-line? At the end of a long day of reporting on other current news and issues Bill, this is a fun story to research and work on. So many questions, and not enough answers. By the way, I sent my assistant to review the wealth of materials in the Virginia Room at the Fairfax County Library, Fairfax City Branch, which though informative, raised even more questions and speculations. Although the question as to why the Truro Parish's Pohick brought the project to a rather abrupt halt was answered. The size of the "addition" to be constructed directly over the buried complex beneath it, would have been rather noticeable and absolutely would have overshadowed the church.

Principally, that was the reason the church sought to stop construction although, the vestrymen weren't happy at all with the continual intrusions by the local adolescents which created a headache for them and a nuisance for the Groveton later Mount Vernon substations of the Fairfax County Police Department.

Now, in chasing this story, I have run across even more fascinating bits of lost history related to things such as the airfield that once stood atop Beacon Hill along with its sister airfield in Hybla Valley along U. S. Route One in my quest for aerial photos and other documentation. I have spoken to one man, in his late 80's who flew out of Hybla Valley who remembers flying over the area of the Remeum while it was being built in the 1940's right after the second world war ended. His description verified what the plans we found in the several linear feet at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore revealed as to the size of this structure.

On top of that, we are unearthing a part of Fairfax County's history as a place of dairy farms and a pace of life that is virtually unrecognizable today. Its fascinating to beat that poor descriptive adjective to death. My interviews so far range from a former supervisor to a former Deacon of the Church to Baha'i historians and chroniclers.

One last thing Bill, the Admiral and his wife were never removed from their burial sites in Arlington National Cemetery and interred in the Remeum as a result of Mason Remey being blocked from doing so by his brothers who wanted nothing to do with his "project" as the family referred to it.

SO, there's a basic overview of why a freelance wire service reporter [ and a Canadian on top of that ] is poking around in an obscure tale around a historic church in the suburban Washington DC area.

Oh, here's the blog I have started for this and I will be adding as time goes on.
[ http://chasinglosthistory.blogspot.com/ ]

Feel free to contact me Bill if you'd like as well at theroadtraveler@gmail.com

Sincerely,



Brody Levesque
BL Freelance News Service LLC
Washington D. C.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Lazy Mobster ()
Date: January 25, 2011 08:34PM

Just spent the better part of my evening reading this. Wow what a tale. I can't wait to hear more about this as it comes to light. What I'm most curious about is why the multiple level thing has not been proven or disproven yet. And why no archeaologit with a ground penetrating radar has been out there?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 25, 2011 11:52PM

Washington DC JAN 25 |

Re: Lazy Mobster's question(s) as to levels and use of technology in determine size and scope of the Remeum.

Dear LM,

I can safely answer both questions with some veracity as to the accuracy of what I am going to state.

There are not multiple levels in a conventional floor over floor over floor as it was constructed. Hence while the Bahia'i sanctuary and the chapels from floor to ceiling would measure as two conventional stories, the actual design called for a graduated step down which meant that while the 'upper level' maintained a ceiling height of 12 feet minus foundational footings, the descent was gradual and only a few stairs at a time which if you'll note from the architectural diagram that Mason Remey drew and as displayed elsewhere within this thread, the aforementioned chapel(s) and Baha'i sanctuary had ceilings at the 24 foot to 30 foot mark.

As I had previously written, thus the rough equivalent using the analogy and comparison of an in-ground swimming pool.

As far as ground penetrating sonar/radar/x-rays et cetera. The Truro Parish's Pohick Church does not in any way shape or form want any attention drawn to the Remeum. It is partially due to politics, problems, the fact that it was a public nuisance, and was a considerable legal liability to the church.

A good deal of the politics revolves around Mason Remey and his purposes/motivations for building the facility, which even now create conflicts.

Having spoken to a source at the church, I can assure you they definitely do not want this issue revisited and very much do not desire to have folks poking around on the site. Now, my source was terribly gracious but firm on that point.

The County also doesn't want, as one person in Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) told me. Of course the Fairfax County Police Department really doesn't want to repeat history either.

Now, I am not going to make a comment or form an opinion on the pros and cons of an archeological exploration as its not germane to my researching and writing the story. I can only contribute that the Pohick Church as well as certain elements of the County government would absolutely be grateful to see this subject relegated to a shelf gathering dust in the library.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Date: January 25, 2011 11:57PM

This reminds me of the grave stones you see on the corner of Nutley Avenue and Route 29 up in Fairfax - by the Starbucks.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Nutley and 29 ()
Date: January 26, 2011 06:09AM

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/cem/cem014.htm

The grave site at Nutley and Rt. 29 is a family cemetary. The graves are Civil War era, thus the Confederate flags you see from time to time. The Thompson Family still owns that parcel of land abutting the Pan Am shopping center, along with some other large tracts north and south on Lee Hwy.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Anonymous Fan of Thread ()
Date: January 26, 2011 06:12AM

Great work Brody! Keep it up!

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: The Sculler ()
Date: January 26, 2011 07:10AM

I have to agree that we all owe you a big thanks for your thorough research, Brody. They weren't necessarilly the answers I wanted to hear, in respect to the pencil-pushers having no desire to unearth the Crypt because they won't give anyone the benefit of the doubt. I guess the silver lining is that they're not so up in arms that they plan on destroying what's left. Maybe all we need to do is have some patience and hope that someone, someday appreciates the history for what it was and starts digging.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: digger ()
Date: January 26, 2011 01:45PM

I went metal detecting on the south side of the hill this place was on. It looked like it might have been one of the old pickets from the civil war. as it turns out it was, in my opinion, an ols latrene from the builders. looked like it would have been an over sized (long) fox hole and I found about 25 early 1900's penny's I think the latest was from around 1914. I don't recall exactly as I was looking for relics not nearly modern coins. A message to any relic hunters out there this entire area is totally trashy so much so discrimination and ground balance don't always work,

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Huntington ()
Date: January 26, 2011 02:24PM

Very cool Brody, thanks for the work! Love this thread.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: 703 ()
Date: January 26, 2011 03:07PM

Soooo, why hasn't anyone started digging? Little...bits...at...a...time.
.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 26, 2011 04:04PM

Washington DC JAN 25 |

Dear Folks,

First I want to thank each & everyone who has sent me e-mails regarding the ongoing as yet still untitled story regarding the Remeum and I especially want to express my gratitude for your kind words and also here on this thread as well.

I'm going to take a few minutes and answer some of the questions that you've asked and also I'd like to point out that if there are any of you out there who have further sources or may wish out to point out discrepancies, by all means please let me know.

Okay, a reader asked about stairs on either side of the Baha'i sanctuary. From the description afforded me by an architectural expert as well as facts that I have been able ascertain from snippets of data in the collections of Mason Remey's papers and letters, those stairs go up and are capped by two solid concrete "lids" which lie at a depth of around 6 feet under the soil at grade but, given the passage of now 64 years that depth may be slightly greater. Also, judging from the aerial shots that are available dating from the 1950's forward, the area reforested naturally, which means that quite likely there could be trees and root structures covering those caplids as well.

Now, by way of explanation, and since photo documentation is currently not available, I'll attempt to paint a picture here with words. Those staircases are enclosed in stairwells that best resemble the "towers" of a 12th century English or French castle. Or for those of you who've been able to visit a lighthouse, picture the interior stairs leading up to the actual light & mechanism.

These stairwells were to provide access to the the Remeum from the proposed "addition" that was to be built directly above the buried crypts & chapels. It would be fair to say that the addition faintly resembled the Lincoln Memorial with the top two stories of the George Washington Memorial Masonic Temple as the "roof," while although was not on the same scale as those two structures, still would have been large enough to be seen for quite some distance as the Pohick Church and the property actually sit astride the crest of a ridge.

Now, until I have a chance to update the blogsite with the referenced architectural drawings, I should point out that this addition's scaled architectural drawing and description in Mason Remey's own hand, is part of the rare book & papers collections of the Remey collection which is available for public perusal at the Virginia Room, of the Fairfax City Branch, of the Fairfax County public library.

Now, another reader wanted to know about the construction of the structure. My staff, who are immensely enjoying researching this by the way, and I are looking for the actual vendors of materials used. Principally, the Stone & Brickyard that provided the bricks. Now, the cement as it was called and concrete work was most likely done on site. We know that a bulk of the construction was carried out between 1939 and 1948 in terms of the underground portion. But, it should be noted, that the work was sporadic during the time period 1942 to 1945 as a result of wartime shortages of materials and obviously manpower.

Now, that doesn't mean that there was a cessation of work, but rather wartime priorities took centre stage with major projects at nearby Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon, Fort Hunt, and other defence projects in greater Northern Virgina. This meant that the skilled crafts and journeymen would have worked on Mason Remy's structure, did so piecemeal, hence the decade plus time period from excavation to recovering and grading of the underground site along with grading to elevation specified for the outdoor courtyards and atrium.

Because of wartime shortages, the construction would not have included steel reinforcements, just a simple concrete and brickwork execution.

Decorative features including the various bas reliefs depicting the family history, the concrete lions that stood guard at the entrance to the colonnaded inner atrium, of course the statues and other sculptures were being added starting during the 1950's and into the early 1960's.

From my understanding from the curator's at the NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM | 401 F Street NW Washington, DC 20001 | 202.272.2448 | Red Line Metro, Judiciary Square
Hours: Mon - Sat 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Sun 11:00 am - 5:00 pm | with whom I shared enlarged versions of some of the photographs that were taken by the readership of this thread, the brickwork is executed in such a way as to quite literally last numerous centuries, but more importantly, be able to sustain the weight of the earth above the structure. In the case of the sections further back from those shots and based on the Remey draftsman drawing, the walls, footings, and vaulted ceilings were built not only to withstand the pressure of the earth fill, but also support the weight of the proposed addition.

Another reader wanted to know the exact floor footprint in terms of square feet.
Without the actual construction blueprints available at this time its damn near impossible to give an accurate assessment.
I am tracking down those blueprints as we have discovered that they still exist. However, I need to dispel the notion that the structure "ran" under Pohick Road or even US Route One. Judging from what the experts with whom I have consulted have explained, the Baha'i sanctuary would have been approximately less than 150 yards southeast of the residence referred to as "Stumpy's" which in fact was the Pohick Church Sexton-Warder's residence. The axis of the underground structure was such as if a clock-face were used as a reference point, the alignment would be that the Remeum would be pointed at "noon" or 12 o'clock and the Pohick church would be at one o'clock.

Again, as we search for what seems to be highly elusive aerial photographs taken during the time period 1939 to 1948, or better, construction photos should those exist, its difficult to describe.

Now, the other search that is running concurrently is documentation of monies spent by way of cancelled cheques, bank-drafts, or other financials documenting monies spent on materials or wages. For example, located directly across the US highway 1 was a small travel court built in the 1930's. It was later called the Pohick Inn. It is very possible that a Guest Register if still in existence may shed light on workers, craftsmen, or others who may have been connected to the project.

Now, one last question I need to answer. Access to the other sections and the rumors attached to them. I need to point out, that a contractor was hired to "plug" the access to the other portions of The Remeum in the spring of 1970. This coincided with removal of the 15 remains as well as interring Mrs. Mason Remey in the Church which actually wasn't accomplished until 1972. The specified method called for was construction of two walls of cinderblocks with a layer of dirt fill packed and spaced between them. Hence, if you punched through one wall you'd encounter a dirt barrier. Rather effective at discouraging further exploration.

Now, that stated, there are those individuals who in fact have explored the entire space prior to those plugs being installed. By the way, if you look at the pictures that show the statue of Admiral George Collier Remey USN and his wife facing the photographer, you can just barely make out one of those plugs in the passageway behind the statue.

I am currently seeking out those folks along with other verified documentation/information so please bear with me as I research that.

I'll be covering more on construction details later but please feel free to email me with questions or post them here and I shall try to answer them. In some cases, I need to forewarn that I may not be able to provide an answer as I too am still searching for that particular answer.

Sincerely,



Brody Levesque

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Jewel ()
Date: January 27, 2011 12:28AM

Dear Mr. Levesque,

Thanks for the correction about Mrs. Remey. As I said before, most of what I knew of the story came from being passed around by high school kids. It is fascinating learning more about it. I love history and a good mystery and the crypts give you both. I look forward to reading more from other crypt crawlers and would love to hear some of the rumors that flew at other schools. I hope some more photos turn up. Finally I thank you for putting the time and effort into unraveling this tale; separating the facts from the fiction.

Cheers!

Jewel

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 27, 2011 11:32PM

Washington DC JAN 27 |

Gentlefolk,

I am establishing the following list of local high schools whose student bodies were aware of or in some cases individually, participated in "events" at the Remeum from the time period of March 1956 until the 1983 when access was eventually eliminated completely by the Pohick Church.

Please be so kind as to let me know if I've forgotten a school.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

Principally students from these High Schools:

Mount Vernon High School * Mt. Vernon-Ft. Belvoir Areas
Groveton (now West Potomac) High School * Groveton-Beacon Hill Areas
Hayfield High School * Telegraph-Kingstowne Areas
Thomas Edison High School * Franconia Area
Robert E. Lee High School * Franconia-Springfield Areas

Rarely but additionally also students from:

Lake Braddock High School * Burke-Kings Park Areas
W. T. Woodson High School * Fairfax City
Annandale High School * Annandale-North Springfield Areas
West Springfield High School * West Springfield-Burke Areas

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: CBLB78 ()
Date: January 28, 2011 11:48AM

I would hardly consider Lake Braddock as rarely involved at all. I was there and it was a regular destination for many LB students. There was also a Connection story posted here with pictures and dialogue about LB students.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 28, 2011 04:21PM

Washington DC JAN 28 |

Dear CBLB78,

I had read that along with the copy of the article mentioned that is archived at the Fairfax County Public library as well in the Virginia Room.

My immediate question was "frequency" and "consistency" of participants from the local schools during the many 'gatherings' at the Remeum.
I certainly am not attempting to downplay any group's involvement or knowledge but merely am attempting to establish the facts v. the legends.

That said, I accept that there were pupils from all of the aforementioned lists that had knowledge of or traveled to for 'gatherings' at the Remeum. Frequency of appearance was rated by proximity, yet as this is still ongoing, I am more than happy to continue to document and add as I go along.

Of course, the interesting aspects of this story are more how the tale was spread and the resulting "legends" that accompanied the tale. Right now, I am establishing an outline sketch of the timeline from 1939 till 1983, and all pupils that were there quite obviously factor into the storyline.

Separation again was only by what few facts we have gathered thus far and as a result sir, the lists are fluid in that regard.

Since it has now been over 27 years, and I've checked, outside of possibly the embarrassment due to public exposure if revealed involuntarily, none of the persons who attended functions there during its heyday would be vulnerable to criminal charges or civil liabilities.

I fully intend to keep sources anonymous if so asked as that's a principle of my profession that I strictly adhere to. I have been getting e-mails with contributions by means of telling me the experiences the writer's had at the 'crypts' as is the common term for which I am deeply appreciative.

At some point, I intend to also interview the author of that Connection Newspaper article for his impressions as well.

The thing is this though, there are so many different aspects to the overall story which are fascinating. In some regards, not unlike a difficult puzzle.

So, I accept that I stand corrected on Lake Braddock High School and also invite further comments. reflections on experiences, or knowledge of aspects of this story that might other wise get overlooked.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: CBLB78 ()
Date: January 28, 2011 07:38PM

Brody,

No offense taken at all! I just thought you were looking for feedback.

I would say that knowledge of the Crypts spread word of mouth from other kids all over Northern Virginia. Gas was cheap and nobody minded a road trip out to Rt. 1 so I think it would be difficult to realistically concentrate the visitors to a handful of high schools. You really never knew who you would run into when you climbed down in there and they weren't all high school students.

Thanks for your work on this! We never knew any of this history back in the day.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: VANative ()
Date: January 28, 2011 08:26PM

Principally students from these High Schools:
Mount Vernon High School * Mt. Vernon-Ft. Belvoir Areas
Groveton (now West Potomac) High School * Groveton-Beacon Hill Areas

The above is correct, but you have omitted Fort Hunt High School.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 28, 2011 08:42PM

Washington DC JAN 28 |

Dear CBLB78 and VANative,

Thank you for your kindness and I have updated the list we are building on the "participating" schools.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 28, 2011 11:10PM

Washington DC JAN 28 |

Dear Jewel,

I thought you'd get a kick out of the following promotional advert that Cornell University's special collections ran when they displayed the many various fashions worn by Mrs. C. M. Remey, that were donated by Mason Remey after her death.

As I've written earlier, Mason, along with his wife were members of Washington's 'power' elite and as such were quite fashionable.

Mason Remey trained as an architect at Cornell University (1893–1896), before leaving to attend the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France (1896–1903).

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque
Attachments:
Cornell University Remey Collection.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Jewel ()
Date: January 29, 2011 03:39AM

Dear Mr. Levesque,
If there is one thing I love more than history it is fashion! Thank you so much for the link. I once participated in an interactive theater production where I played Madeline Astor on the Titanic crossing. I researched and constructed a few pieces of period clothes to wear in it. The detail in early 1900s clothing is daunting but lovely. I will have to put a trip to the collection on my bucket list.

Thanks again!

Jewel

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: darkstar ()
Date: January 31, 2011 05:50PM

Hi Brody

Thank you for all of the information you have been providing in regards to the Remey Crypt.

It was a fascinating place back in the day that I visited many times. I went to Hayfield Secondary which served students in the Lorton area starting in 1973.

Prior to that time Lorton residents went to West Springfield HS. The county changed the bus boundaries in 1973. Students who were currently enrolled in West Springfield in 1973 continued to attend West Springfield. Intermediate students who attended Washington Irving Intermediate, like myself, were bused to Hayfield to start the 1973/74 school years. Some families had half of their children attending West Springfield and half attending Hayfield.

You must not rule out students who attended Washington Irving Intermediate school as they could have likely visited Remey Crypts as well.

Like another person pointed out it wasn't just area students who visited the Crypts. Word was out about the place for many years and it became a big attraction to people of all ages whos residence could have been in neighboring states.

We all attended concerts at Capital Centre, (Landover MD) back in those times and I'm sure the Crypts were mentioned more than once as a place to go not only for its creepiness but another place to party. In addition, a lot of the Lorton parties played host to non-residents as well.

I once found a link to a Customs Agency, I believe in the Baltimore area that gave Remey a citation for not having a permit to import marble statues from Italy. Remey was trying to evade paying import taxes. There should be some documentation that exists that will enable further research along those lines.

There was a brickyard at Lorton Reformatory just off of Route 123 (Ox Road) that was continuously turning out product at the time the Crypt would have been built. A few dollars passed along to the right hands back in those days could have resulted in a supply of bricks to contractors.

You may want to contact the alumni of the former George Washington HS as some of them may have known about the Crypts back in the 1950s and early to mid 1960s.
http://gwhsaa.com/

By any chance did you ever visit the Crypt prior to it being covered over by the Church?

Thanks again for all of your work on this subject.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2011 07:10PM by darkstar.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: January 31, 2011 11:28PM

Washington DC JAN 31 |

Dear Darkstar,

Thank you for the leads, especially the U. S. Customs lead as that will augment some other information that I am trying to verify.

To answer to your question about my visiting the site prior to the Pohick Parish burying the facility, simply, no sadly I did not.

I grew up in Ontario province, Canada, near Toronto. I then moved to San Francisco, California for university in 1979 and later commenced my career as a cub reporter for the old UPI which has now been transformed into an organisation that bears little resemblance to the outfit I worked for 30 years ago.

Now, I have interviewed a former member of the 'Pagan' motorcycle club, a gentleman in his early 60's, who grew up "on the highway" as he refers to US 1 and who also apparently "partied" at the Remeum in the 1970's.

Some of his stories are interesting, albeit a tad bit hazy due to his self admitted over indulgence of shall I say, "restricted chemicals and alcohol" which leads to sketchy details obviously.

However, he has been able to fill in gaps surrounding the culture of that time and given me historical references which are invaluable to filling in the gaps. His only request was that I simply refer to him by his M/C club name of 'Spike' which I decided that I didn't need a detailed explanation of how he arrived at that particular handle. In way of a further note, he has a rather extensive collection of tattoos & body art along with interesting scars and accompanying explanations of how he ended up with them.

'Spike' was able to debunk the so-called murdered girls urban legend, which was further verified by a retired Fairfax County Police Department homicide investigator. He also gained credibility by articulately citing details of the interior of the structure and other locations that his M/C club hung at that were independently verified.

To be honest, this story is absolutely incredible in terms of the generations involved, the historical perspectives, and finally, the persons involved in teh building, design, and then the family history too.

For example, Mason Remey's maternal grandfather was in charge of the United States Patent office before the American Civil War. One of the persons Judge Mason hired to assist him was none other than Clara Barton, who went on to gain fame as the founder of the American Red Cross.

I am checking also on your lead regarding the brickworks at the Lorton Reformatory too. Given the high society circles that Mason Remey traveled, having a connection there is not all that far fetched.

I have also added George Washington High School in Alexandria along with the Washington Irving Intermediate to the list. Would you or any of the other readers consider adding T. C. Williams High School to that list or no?

Sincerely,



Brody Levesque
Attachments:
REMY.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: One of the gang ()
Date: February 01, 2011 06:19AM

Hi Brody, what does it mean that the Remeys were a part of the "power elite"? What I mean is, were they just people with money and nice clothing who lived in DC, or were they actually connected? My impression is that to this day, DC is extremely extremely power hungry and status conscious, that everyone is measuring everyone else's status to the millimeter, and I'm just curious what Remey's stature derived from. OK, he was an architect, so were lots of others. Was his status from his Admiral father?

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: February 01, 2011 10:59AM

Washington DC FEB 1 |

Re: "What does it mean that the Remeys were a part of the "power elite"?

Dear One Of The Gang,

Famed journalist,correspondent, and student of history David Brinkley wrote in his book, 'Washington Goes To War:'

“Not many huge fortunes were ever made in Washington, but a great many made elsewhere were spent there."

To answer your question fairly, the Remey family was extremely well off by the standards of the day. The family also held long connections to Washington City as it was then known to its social elite. Some of whom also were political brokers as well.

One of the peculiarities to Washington for years, lessor so now, is that there were residents who came and went with the various administrations and Congresses and the 'permanent' inhabitants of the city.

Brinkley wrote:

"With social status depending on presidential administrations, appointments, and elections, Washington Society has never been conducive toward an “Old-money†crowd. That said, someone had to build the city, and though they are an elusive and restrictive bunch, I’ve found them.

Known as the “Cave Dwellers†due to their invisibility around town, these permanent establishment types made their homes in the Kalorama neighborhood of northwest DC. It was an isolated neighborhood; residents had their chauffeurs take them around town and their children attended private schools. When we see street signs in DC, it’s these characters for which they are named. Many of the Cave Dwellers descended from the original families in the area, dating back to 1634. DC was on their land, and they considered themselves to be caretakers of the federal government and the nation by extension.

Long used to having a say in government, President of the Riggs National Bank Charles Glover—of the Glover Park Glovers—used to walk across Pennsylvania Avenue to discuss financial affairs with the Secretary of the Treasury. Truth be told, he was such a common sight that the Secretary gave him a desk in the building. In 1915 a new comptroller ordered the desk removed, believing it bad federal policy for a private banker to have a personal desk at the Treasury building. This did not go over well with Charles Glover, who walked up to the comptroller and hit him on the head with his cane.

The event signaled the removal of Cave Dwellers from government affairs. The final nail in the coffin was the arrival of FDRs New Dealers, seen as young, idealistic, academic, social workers, guilty of wearing the wrong colored shoe at dinner. The Washington families wanted nothing to do with the “communist†New Dealers, and in turn the New Dealers were happy to avoid the “fascist†Cave Dwellers. Oh sure, the Cave Dwellers could still be seen at the Metropolitan or the Chevy Chase Country Club, but after the 30s, the Cave Dwellers mainly kept to themselves."

FDR himself often held these persons in great contempt.

Now, by way of further explanation, Mason Remey was a friend and guest of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, widow of House Speaker Nicholas Longworth, cousin to FDR and his wife Eleanor, and of course daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. Her home was but a quick 5 minute stroll from either Mason's parents home on Rhode Island avenue or his home on Massachusetts avenue. [ All of which were located in the historic DuPont Circle neighborhood of Washington. ]

I found references to Mason Remey being an invited guest to functions held by Evelyn Walsh McLean,the last owner of the famed Hope Diamond. He apparently was good friends with Cissy Patterson, journalist and newspaper editor, publisher and owner of the Washington Times-Herald newspaper, who often feuded publicly with FDR and his policies. A footnote here, Ms. Patterson's lavish mansion at 15 DuPont Circle is now The Washington Club and is the only original home left on the actual perimeter of the circle's fountain park as the rest were torn down to make way for business and office buildings.

Remey's family had money. His maternal grandfather was wealthy and as I mentioned had been the United States Commissioner of Patents. Remey's father was a highly decorated U. S. Naval officer, whose family was also well off. Then there was Remey himself, who made money from his lectures and book-sales regarding the Baha'i faith. Further note here, Mason Remey was extremely prolific as an writer and authored quite a collection of works over the years.

Remey was also a member of the faculty as an adjunct professor of architecture at the George Washington University in Foggy Bottom.

During his brief marriage, the Remey's were frequent guests at Embassy functions, and private parties given by the society types. She also had connections to the social circles in Kansas City, Missouri, which included the democratic Party Boss and power broker Tom Pendergast, who gave rise to the political career of future U. S. President Harry S. Truman.

I have filed a request with the presidential libraries of both FDR & Truman, to establish links and connections to Remey if any exist.

One thing I have been able to determine is that Remey has a monstrous ego. And because the social circles of Washington City were tiny compared to those after the second war and the new deal, these folk literally knew each other and often went on holiday to Newport, Rhode Island, Palm Beach, Florida, and in the years between the wars, Europe.

Some of Remey's friends were also blue-bloods from the royal houses of Europe.
This was no ordinary Joe Citizen.

So, you can see way this story is so fascinating and unique. It really is, "Chasing Lost History."

Sincerely,



Brody Levesque

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: darkstar ()
Date: February 01, 2011 11:34AM

Brody, thank you for your reply.

I would add T.C. Williams High School to your list.

I came across an article about the Lorton Reformatory brick yards that may be of interest.

Lorton VA-Where Inmates Paved the Way For A New Future

"In 1925 the brick kilns were considered some of the best on the east coast and in 1927 it is estimated the inmates made over 4.2 million bricks. The kilns were located on the banks of the Occoquan River making it easier for bricks not used for the reformatory to be sold and shipped to DC. Bricks were used to build a number of buildings in DC include Cardoza HS on Clifton Street NW now on the National Register of Historic Places."
http://militaryrelocationnews.com/post/1783038/lorton-va-where-inmates-paved-the-way-for-a-new-future

There was also a sizable rock quarry in Occoquan which could have provided additional building materials.

Occoquan Quarry (Occoquan Quarry Nos. 1 & 2), Fairfax Co., Virginia, USA
REF:Deposit:: MESA INSP.
Deposit:: MESA HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTION REPORT MARCH 30-31, 1972.
Deposit:: QUARRY IS OPERATED BY VULCAN MATERIALS COMPANY.
Deposit:: OPERATION INCLUDES A MILL.
Commodities (Major) - Granite
Development Status: Past Producer
http://www.mindat.org/loc-103569.html

The New York Times has several pay per view articles about Remey.

July 6, 1931 MRS. KLEMM TO MARRY.; General's Widow to Wed Charles M. Remey, Admiral's Son.

August 6, 1932 MRS. REMEY KILLS HERSELF IN CAPITAL; Architect Finds Wife Wounded in Home -- Says She Had Been Desp...

http://query.nytimes.com/search/queryquery=Charles+Mason+Remey&date_select=full&srchst=p



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2011 11:58AM by darkstar.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: February 02, 2011 11:07PM

Washington DC FEB 2 |

Dear Folks,

Here are the pictures of the proposed addition that Mason Remey notified the Truro Parish's Pohick Church vestrymen & rector in the spring of 1957 he was going to add over the top of the existing structure.

These architectural sketches were executed by Mason Remey and were originally published in the Remey Family Records collection that were delivered to over 50 institutions of higher education along with numerous public libraries and the Library of Congress which is the set that these photos were taken from.
As you can see from the scaled human figures in the drafts, this structure would have dwarfed the church itself.

Best Wishes to you all.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

The Remeum Front Elevation View_thumb.JP
The Remeum Side Cutaway Elevation View_t

edit by Cary (the admin): Made thumbnails of huge images, click for full-sized originals.
To the poster (Brody): Always feel free to post huge pictures here. I'll come by after a few days and create thumbnails for them. Better to have the full-size original available than only a tiny thumbnail formatted for web viewing. Thanks for your contributions!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2011 10:03PM by Cary.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: February 03, 2011 12:43PM

Washington DC FEB 3 |

Dear Folks,

Sorry about the gargantuan jpegs of the proposed Remeum addition. I haven't found a way to edit my posts, hence there's no way to 'reduce' them back to the size I intended them to display here.

Now, updates:

Mrs. Remey's death with a very big nod of appreciation to DarkStar. I now have copies of the Washington Post & New York Times articles published the day after her death. I need to note, and once you've read them you may agree, that her so-called suicide was a little more than suspicious. I'll put them up after I get the Copyright DMA permission to reprint them from the Post and the NY Times.

I also am working with a source who has access to some documents regarding the building of the Remeum including the original construction agreements & contracts which I hope to have by the end of the week.

I thank all of you again for your kind remarks here and in the e-mails of which seem to be a rather growing collection which is rather greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Carl ()
Date: February 03, 2011 03:25PM

Thank you Brody and all the others who contributed to this page.

I am rather proud of the fact that I explored the Remium in High School. I went to Annandale High and graduated in 1983. This was unfortunately the twilight of the crypts. On beautiful October night 1982 me and two other friends went to the crypts. Yes we were patying and people were climbing all over the place like mice.But the place was awesome on that moonlit night in early october.It had a Romanesque rustic beauty with a creepy undertone the I remember hauted you afterward like ghost breathing on your neck. Shortly afterward as I heard the police came and tear gased everyone out. After that the church destroyed the outside building. We contined to visit as the inside was still intact.
I do remember seeing a tall sealed archway that was sealed with cinder blocks. also there were signs that people had tried to break though the barrier.Nothing but dirt appeared,but as mentioned in this blog was probubly put there to discourage people.
Yet, the crypts ,the stories,and most of all the facinating history and biography of Charles Mason Remey are definately worth pusuit.

I am so happy that this place has not been forgotten but will be given the attention long overdue to it.

Carl

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: darkstar ()
Date: February 03, 2011 03:41PM

Hi Brody:

I'm glad the NY newspaper leads helped. I did run across a couple of Washington Post (pay-per-view) stories and one mentioned that Charles Remey found his wife with one self-inflected gun shot wound and while he was calling for help she fired a second shot.

If Remey called the police then there must be a police/corner report somewhere. These reports may still be around considering the Remey's were important people, roaming around in the higher social circles of D.C.

There were several newspaper articles in the Washington Post of the Remey's hosting dinner parties at their house in D.C.

Thanks again for all of your continued research.

To Edit your postings - go to the bottom of the post you wish to change and click edit and that will enable you to make changes and save them.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2011 03:43PM by darkstar.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Follower ()
Date: February 03, 2011 07:52PM

Brody, you can download two free programs that will enable you to modify the size of JPEGS and do a lot of other things
www.getpaint.net
Also www.irfanview.com is very useful

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Jeff J ()
Date: February 04, 2011 12:36AM

This is amazing. This temple had to have been planned from the start, but Mason hid his hand. You don't propose something like this without having already built sufficient foundations, which were the crypts themselves.

I remember seeing concrete block walls blocking the axis and blocking the way to the storage room. Since they needed a utility/electric room, I imagine the storage room was really there. Now after seeing his proposed temple, I wonder if the rotunda was actually built, as that's the only section of the crypts that has sufficient foundations for the temple above. It's also about the right scale. But whether the rotunda was built or not, a large structure was certainly planned to go on top of it from its inception.

Brody, I really appreciate all the research. Keep it coming.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Jeff J ()
Date: February 04, 2011 12:39AM

And I hope this dispels the idea that there were multiple levels underground, as the temple sketches certainly don't indicate their existence. Any stairs shown on the plans were meant to eventually go up, not down.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: February 04, 2011 11:00PM

Washington DC FEB 4 |

Dear Folks,

Here is the clipping on the death of Mrs. Remey. I am still researching the facts and should have more details for you all on Saturday.

Please take a hard look at this article as there's a question of plausibility in terms of shots fired and by whom.

The reason I say this is because in the inventory of Mrs. Remey's personal effects & possessions that were donated later by Mr. Remey, one of the items was a War Department authorised- Army issue, Browning-designed, Colt-produced .45 Automatic pistol that had been the property of her first husband,an army Colonel who also committed suicide.

To quote the English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known by his pseudonym Lewis Carroll writing in his epic Alice In Wonderland; "Curiouser and curiouser!"

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2011 11:01PM by Brody Levesque.
Attachments:
Mrs. C. M.Remey Kills Self 1.jpg
Mrs. C. M.Remey Kills Self 2.jpg

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Observer of Things ()
Date: February 04, 2011 11:09PM

Those are some mighty big photos there, hoss.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Anonymous Fan ()
Date: February 05, 2011 01:36AM

Strange, you don't often hear of self-inflicted head wounds being minor enough to enable the person to pull the trigger a second time. Brody, is that your point about plausibility? Especially since a 45 at point blank range generally would be fatal?

And boy, this society page pulls no punches. They raise their eyebrows at the fact that it was a fast marriage, without lots of events before the wedding -- very gossipy, raising the issue that they needed a rush marriage. I hope you will share what the name of the paper was, and look forward to the next segment.

Finally, in the longitudinal section (which he mis-spelled longitudinal setion) I assume that the very bottom center piece is his own crypt; looks like it is directly below a crypt or something with a human form carved in the top.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: annonymous ()
Date: February 05, 2011 02:02AM

Brody:

Two things.

1. Have you seen:

http://charlesmasonremey.net/

2. Where you aware that the Princeton library has a huge collection of Remey documents? http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=C0524&kw=

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: annonymous ()
Date: February 05, 2011 02:03AM

Permanent URL for info on the Princeton library info: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/1r66j1172

annonymous Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brody:
>
> Two things.
>
> 1. Have you seen:
>
> http://charlesmasonremey.net/
>
> 2. Where you aware that the Princeton library has
> a huge collection of Remey documents?
> http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=C0524
> &kw=

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: February 05, 2011 07:01PM

Washington DC FEB 5 |

Dear Folks,

Thanks for the Princeton Library info, I shall add it to the growing list of repositories where Mason Remey left copies and donated materials.

Now, the referenced 'charlesmasonrmey dot net' was written and maintained by a Baha'i follower of Mr. Remey, who had an ongoing written correspondence with Remey's adopted Florentine son Pepe Remey who passed away in the mid 1990's.

Here is that gentleman's pedigree:
Based in Boise, Idaho, Dr. Mathieu has over 30 years of experience as a naturopathic physician, and has been practicing natural health care in the Treasure Valley for more than a decade.
One of Idaho's most experienced holistic health care physyicians, Brent is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND), and a Diplomate of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (DHANP).

Now, I was asked about the article previously posted. That appeared in the Washington Times-Herald newspaper, which at the time were owned by William Randolph Hearst. Hearst's two Washington papers were the morning Washington Herald and the evening Washington Times which were later combined into one paper by noted socialite Elinor Josephine Medill Patterson, better known as 'Cissy Patterson.' Mrs. Patterson bought the papers from Hearst in 1939.

The gun, well, there are conflicting details swirling around Mrs. Remey's death. Unfortunately, the D. C. Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed that they no longer have any verified records, notes, or files on her death. The District's Medical Examiner as yet has not responded to my freedom of information request so until then, I am seeking out other possibilities.

By the way the Washington Post and New York Times accounts were nearly identical to the Times-Herald's account so I shall treat that as principal background for now.

I question, that if she used the Colt sidearm, exactly how she managed to shoot herself twice as a source in the DC Medical Examiner's office did tell me that any form of survival from that particular caliber hand gun was highly unlikely unless the first shot only grazed her.

Finally, I did an edit/addition to the Fairfax Wiki on this site regarding the Remeum, the text follows this post.

Thanks again for the kind words, e-mails, and encouragement, and to the Observer, yeah, *sigh* those are pretty big pictures hoss....

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

Wiki Text:

Remeum
The Remeum was the name bestowed on the Remey-Mason family mausoleum erected on the glebe of the Truro parish's Pohick Church in Lorton, Virgina, by its architect and builder Charles Mason Remey. Remey's stated intent was to honour his family's contributions to the American nation. The site of the ruins of the Remeum lies approximately 250 yards southwest of the church burial yard and are marked solely by the remains of an obelisk and two brick vent chimney structures with the rest of the complex covered by soil and reforestation since its destruction and demolition in 1983.

Designed by noted Washington D. C. architect and controversial Baha’i faith dignitary, Charles Mason Remey, the Remeum was constructed over a twenty year period commencing in the spring 1937 with the initial land survey and was ongoing until disagreement between the Pohick church vestrymen and Remey resulted in a court action which halted further development in the fall of 1958.

Remey's designs called for an outer walled courtyard with burial niches and crypts, a walled colonnaded atrium entrance to the underground mausoleum which incorporated inclusion of several cenotaphs,chapels and burial crypts. Remey's design also called for a large three story columned and tiered structure built directly over the underground portion. The parish officials objected to the addition of the above ground structure as it would have dwarfed the church, a registered historic landmark.

The completed sections of the complex were the outer courtyards, the atrium, and the underground portion. Costing approximately $2.7 million dollars, the complex featured bas reliefs and sculptures by famed American sculptor Felix de Weldon, the American artist who sculpted the flag-raising Iwo Jima U. S. Marine Corps memorial located adjacent to Arlington Nation cemetery in Rosslyn, Virginia. There were also sculptures by other American artists along with copies of noted Italian masterpieces from the Renaissance period which decorated the various tombs, alcoves, and hallways. The complex was electrified, lit by alabaster chandeliers, had an extensive ventilation system, and was plumbed with waste being delivered to a septic system

The complex was electrified, lit by alabaster chandeliers, had an extensive ventilation system, and was plumbed with waste being delivered to a septic system.
The complex suffered from inadequate security measures and as word spread of its unique design and construction, starting the middle of the 1950's forward, it became a destination for local adolescents and youth as well as adults who ended up inflicting significant damage in acts of wanton vandalism. The problem became severe enough that the local Fairfax County authorities deemed the complex a public nuisance.

As the ten year long court battle ensued and with construction halted, Remey ultimately ceded that the complex would never be completed, relinquishing all rights to the parish in a U. S. District Court agreement in 1968 in Alexandria, Virginia. Remey entrusted removal of family remains including those of his late wife to his brother-in-law, Rear Admiral John Remey Wadleigh who re-interred her remains in the burial yard of the Pohick Church and the others were removed to a family grave-site in Pompey, in Onondaga County New York, south of the city of Syracuse. At the time of the removal of the family remains, Admiral Wadleigh had concrete cinderblocks and dirt wall plugs installed to prevent further access to the inner recesses of the complex. The Pohick church in 1973 had the outer courtyard wall knocked down followed by the atrium in 1976, which left the entrance to the underground complex partially exposed.

The "urban legend" grew spreading throughout the local high schools and other places where young persons congregated, as to the mysterious "crypts" at the Pohick Church where "one could party-hearty" during the middle to late seventies. The site became a destination and numerous illicit gatherings involving underage drinking, mating rituals, and vandalism took place.

As these events took place the complex fell under increasing scrutiny of local law enforcement and became a legal liability to the parish which ultimately contracted with a local road construction company based in nearby Newington, Virginia, to cover over the complex completely and regrade the area so as to eradicate any traces. This was accomplished in the fall of 1983.

Currently the only remaining features of the Remeum are an obelisk honoring Remey's father and mother which stood at one end of the courtyard, south of the inner atrium's entrance, and two chimney/vent structures. The area has been reforested since the 1983 site-work and there are no other visible traces of the complex left.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2011 07:22PM by Brody Levesque.

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Re: Remey Tomb/Crypt
Posted by: Brody Levesque ()
Date: February 05, 2011 09:52PM

Washington DC FEB 5 |

Dear Folks,

The following is a 1958 aerial shot that was submitted as an exhibit in the court case between Remey and the Truro Parish.

Still looking for earlier shots. In this shot, you can clearly see the two access roads and the scaling difference between the church and the proposed footprint of the above ground structure Remey desired to build.

Sincerely,


Brody Levesque

Post Script:

Forgive the huge size but at least the features are easily discernible.
Attachments:
1958 Aerial of Remeum Site.jpg

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