Holy Rood Cemetery

Beautifully restored 6.5 acre historic cemetery on a hilltop just above Georgetown. Holy Trinity Catholic Church’s parish cemetery, established in 1832. Location of Holy Trinity Columbarium since 2019.

Holy Rood Cemetery is a 1832 small cemetery on a hill in Glover Park north of Georgetown. It started out as a church's cemetery and is now owned by Georgetown University. The gate is open during the day for those who want to pay their respects and/or take a stroll. The gravestones come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very old like that of Joseph Nevitt, an American Revolutionary War veteran, and others are clearly newer. There's a small mausoleum on the edge of the cemetery. Since it's on a hill, views of the Washington Monument (and the newly constructed Trader Joe's) can be seen from the cemetery.

I spent many, many hours jogging through Holy Rood Cemetery, which, I believe is the burying ground for the Diocese of Georgetown University. I have visited a small cemetery hidden inside Georgetown University. The graves are squat, dark brown crosses, marked only with a name, such as Brother John or Sister Mary. They are hidden inside a brick enclosure, but, you can see the graves through the 'sometimes' locked entrance gate. What bothered me was that I noticed that some of the residents of the townhouses to the north of Holy Rood Cemetery had used some headstones as walking or patio pavers. I called the Diocese office and was told that they would look into it. There is one grave which states, "Born In Georgetown, Maryland. Died In Georgetown, D.C."

I have a view of it from my apartment. It is quiet and contemplative.

This cemetery has a lot of character. It has some really cool features such as large tombstones and a large dip in the ground.