I'm a college student and I'm back home in Reston for the summer. I've got a photography project to do before I get back to school; I'd like to photograph a cemetery. Does anyone have any thoughts on the most interesting or picturesque graveyards in the area? While you're reading, any ideas about other places or monuments around northern Virginia that are austere in the same way?

Thanks a lot.

Uh, Arlington National Cemetary?

St. Mary's of Sorrows RC Church in Fairfax Station has a picturesque, bucolic cemetery.

Herndon also has an old cemetery adjacent to 7100 that has antique plantings that would make for some awesome, interesting photos.

Church of the Good shepherd in Oakton also is picturesque with interesting headstones in a lovely setting.

Thanks! I appreciate the response.

While Arlington National is, I guess, the most famous cemetery in Northern Virginia, I'm looking for something more romantic -- the military orderliness of those well groomed white rows doesn't evoke beauty to me.

Imogene, I think I know the cemetery that you're talking about out in Fairfax Station -- I'd forgotten about that; it's perfect. Thank you. Is Chestnut Grove the one that you mentioned in Herndon?

The paths that lead from Smokewood Park overlook many parts of the Fairfax cemetery. There are several picturesque vistas near the stream.

There are tons of old cemetaries around - one on ROute 50 at a church near Centreville Road, one across the street from Cox farm, one in the middle of the Westfield Business Center, etc etc etc. Or go out to route 29 a little east of Gallows and see one that has an Asian bent.

Largactyl Wrote:
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> the military
> orderliness of those well groomed white rows
> doesn't evoke beauty to me.

Then go fuck yourself.

Since it was talked about recently, check the cemetary at Pohick Church (see the thread about the Remey Tomb). Not necessarily beautiful, just old.

I hear the one in front of Microcenter in Fairfax is nice.

Probably the best time of year to go to Arlington Natl before the trees lose their leaves.



You might also try Front Royal's Prospect Hill Cemetery which is up in the hills. There appear to be a lot of cemeteries and private graveyards around that town.

on braddock road right before it hits pleasant valley road, heading west, there is a small family cemetery on the right side in teh woods. Look for a fence about a foot into the woods, about the size of a football field. It's got some benches and other things in there. Not exactly noticable, but pretty cool.

Fairfax Memorial Park at Braddock Rd. & Burke Station Rd.
They do a great job of keeping the grounds up.
They have some beautiful flowering trees in the spring time.

I never really thought of Cemeteries as being beautiful but I have to admitt I have seen some that were really nice looking. We use to live next to one, it was a small little family lot only about 10 graves but I was always fascinated by trying to figure out what their lifes would have been like. They dated back to the Civil War days.

I don't want to be in the ground.

Anyone else?

In arcola off arcola rd there's an incredible cemetary from the 1800s. Some of the tombstones are so old that trees have grown next to it and absorbed the headstones and fencing. I took a friend there for a photo project and its really something.

At Saint Mary's best epitaph I have ever seen is that of the late Judge Paul Brown.

"He was a man's man and a lawyer's judge."

Those words were written by Til Hazel for whom the law school building at the GMU Fairfax campus was named.

There is a lovely cemetery across the street from the Wakefield Chapel. One grave in the back haunts everyone who sees it. The girl was only 16 or 17. What caused her to die so young back in rural Fairfax County? Back then the area was served by the Burke post office. Charlie Besley (his grandfather donated the land for the chapel and cemetery) was listed in his VPI yearbook (class of 1940) as having come from Burke.







Imogene Wrote:
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> St. Mary's of Sorrows RC Church in Fairfax Station
> has a picturesque, bucolic cemetery.
>
> Herndon also has an old cemetery adjacent to 7100
> that has antique plantings that would make for
> some awesome, interesting photos.
>
> Church of the Good shepherd in Oakton also is
> picturesque with interesting headstones in a
> lovely setting.

You might want to check this out:


http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/cemeteries/

There is a beautiful old cemetery by the Old Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg. Lot's of Stones dating back into the 1800's

Clifton has an old cemetery on Yates Ford Road (on the section that leads to Helmlock Park). It's got some really old and different shaped headstones.

The small one at Christ Church in Alexandria on Washington St. A little cemetary right in the middle of all the downtown area.

http://www.historicchristchurch.org/VisitUs/Tombstones.aspx

One plot is a mass grave of Confederate Soldiers

This is one of the most positive threads on FU in a long time!

Yes, Chestnut Grove is the Herndon Cemetery.

Back to add that Sydenstricker United Methodist Church off of Pohick Road/7100 in the West Springfield area has a small "graveyard" filled with headstones, new and old, just behind the church's historic chapel and little red schoolhouse.

I have been to the Sydenstricker graveyard fairly recently, but I went along with a church member after a service. You *might* want to call ahead before visiting, as technically this is not an open cemetery. The little cemetery is very old-fashioned and quite overgrown, but truly fascinating from a local history perpspective.

Thanks so much for all the great replies.

Chestnut Grove, especially the older plots up on the hill parallel to 7100, yielded some interesting shots.

curious, you're right: this was a pretty uniquely positive FU thread, and I'm really looking forward to checking some of these places out. Especially the overgrown, old cemeteries. I'll post pictures if I get anything particularly good.

I appreciate it, guys.

the one off westfields blvd in chantilly

Any one I can see from above the ground

Flint Hill in Oakton.

The cemetery across the street from herndon high school.

Largactyl: you are one sick fuck....cemeteries being romantic? Go see a fucking shrink.

The one from Saving Private Ryan with all the stars of david.

There's also St Mary's in Old Town on Wahington St. There are some beautiful headstones and mausoleums there. And Mt Olive in DC.

Arlington, the one in Herndon is pretty nice. Great place for a second date.