by Mattie Clear
The Historic Congressional Cemetery has gone to the dogs, in all the best ways. Before the wonders of the Washingtonians and their ingenuity can be appreciated, one must know the story of this small, but important cemetery. From its formation in the early 1800s, it was immediately associated with the US Congress; it predates Arlington National Cemetery by 50 years. This close tie is evident through the plots purchased by Congress for Congressional Representatives who died while serving in Washington.[1] Outside of this early history, Congressional Cemetery is known for its interment of a larger number of LGBTQIA+ identifying deceased and is one of the few (if not only) cemeteries in the country with an LGBTQIA+ section, which was established in 1988.[2]
While the cemetery enjoyed great prominence and prestige through the 19th and early 20th centuries, the cemetery was largely forgotten in the late 20th century. This fading from collective consciousness prompted its addition to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of the most endangered historic sites in 1997. Following Congressional Cemetery’s addition to the list of the most endangered historic sites, community members took it into their own hands to save their neighborhood cemetery through self-taxation.[3] As one of the only green spaces in the area, with the added bonus of being fully enclosed, it is no surprise that individuals enjoyed walking their dogs there. It was this taxation that grew into the K-9 Corps that currently provides about one-fourth of the operating costs of the cemetery (this is approximately the cost of maintaining the grounds).[4]
The K-9 Corps is composed of a group of Washington locals who wish to use the cemetery as a place to walk their dogs. This program informally began in the 1990s and has grown to include 770 dogs and more than 400 people on a waitlist to become members. Memberships are purchased yearly beginning March 1 for $235 with a $50 fee per dog and a maximum of three dogs per membership. This membership also includes a mandatory volunteer commitment of eight hours per year.[5] In March of 2018, I had the pleasure of speaking to then Program Director, Lauren Maloy, who further elaborated on the information provided on the website. She explained that members must go through an orientation session and, upon completion, receive tags for their dogs that are checked by an individual at the gate every time they enter the cemetery. Dogs are allowed in the cemetery any time except during funerals, special events, and Saturdays from 11AM-3PM. The three canine-free hours each Saturday allow visitors who may not feel comfortable around dogs to visit the cemetery. When I spoke with Maloy, the waitlist for joining the K-9 Corps was over 200 individuals, thus indicating the success of such an out of the ordinary fundraising and outreach efforts.
Members are not the only ones who can enjoy the cemetery, Non-members of the K-9 Corps may bring their dogs to the cemetery, for a fee of a $10 day pass. In addition to this fee, the non-member owners are required to read and sign a waiver that is to be carried with them while in the cemetery.[6] The one exception to this rule is Congressional Cemetery’s “Day of the Dog” Celebration. This celebration occurs annually in May and is the one day that the cemetery is open to all dogs for free. “Day of the Dog” typically includes raffles, pet-related vendors as well as local food and brewery options. While not explicitly related to the K-9 Corps, “Day of the Dog” is a way for the cemetery to pay homage to the community that helped save it.[7]
Today, due in large part to the continued support of these dog walkers, Congressional Cemetery is flourishing as an active cemetery and tourist destination. Following a trend of novelty, Congressional Cemetery’s program is rather out of the ordinary for similar cemeteries and includes soul strolls in October where the center chapel is transformed into a bar, Yoga Mortis, Tombs and Tomes book club, Cinematery, and many more. For more information about this cemetery and all that it has to offer, please visit their website at https://congressionalcemetery.org for the most up to date information. For specific information regarding the K-9 Corps please visit, https://cemeterydogs.org.
Bibliography
“Cemetery Dogs: Serving the Historic Congressional Cemetery.” Historic Congressional Cemetery, 2019. https://cemeterydogs.org.
“Day of the Dog at Congressional Cemetery.” Historic Congressional Cemetery, 2019. https://hccemetery.wixsite.com/dayofthedog.
“Dog Walking.” Historic Congressional Cemetery, 2019. https://congressionalcemetery.org/dog-walking/.
“Historic Congressional Cemetery – History.” Historic Congressional Cemetery, August 14, 2019. https://congressionalcemetery.org/history/.
“K9 Corps Waitlist: Frequently Asked Questions.” Historic Congressional Cemetery, 2019. https://cemeterydogs.org/membership/.
“Walking Tour: LGBT Community.” Historic Congressional Cemetery, 2019. https://congressionalcemetery.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/LGBT-tour.pdf.
[1] “Historic Congressional Cemetery – History,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://congressionalcemetery.org/history/.
[2] “Walking Tour: LGBT Community,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://congressionalcemetery.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/LGBT-tour.pdf.
[3] “Historic Congressional Cemetery – History,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://congressionalcemetery.org/history/.
[4] “Dog Walking,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://congressionalcemetery.org/dog-walking/.
[5] “Cemetery Dogs: Serving the Historic Congressional Cemetery,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://cemeterydogs.org.
[6] “K9 Corps Waitlist: Frequently Asked Questions,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://cemeterydogs.org/membership/.
[7] “Day of the Dog at Congressional Cemetery,” Historic Congressional Cemetery, https://hccemetery.wixsite.com/dayofthedog.