National Memorial Park: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 00:12, 23 November 2023

National Memorial Park is a cemetery located in the Washington, D.C suburb of Falls Church, Virginia. The cemetery is part of the National Funeral Home and National Memorial Park complex, which includes several related memorial and end-of-life services. The cemetery covers 168 acres, lined with fountains, trees, gardens, and sculptures.

History

In 1933, local businessman Robert Marlowe purchased a Falls Church dairy farm. Over the years, the property and businesses expanded to include funeral, bereavement, cremation and burial services, as well as a pet cemetery. The funeral home, cemetery and related services are available to people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds.

Services

The site specializes in designing funeral services that commemorate the unique lives of the individuals being honored. Examples include memorials that incorporate a decedent’s favorite song, pastime, family, job, or other individual eccentricity. The site partners with veterans service organizations to offer specialized services to veterans and their families. The site also offers an on-site crematory.

Landscape

Memorial park covers 168 acres, including ponds, sculptures, greenery, and various floral arrangements. Designed as a walkable area, the cemetery contains walking paths and trees to provide shade and cover. The cemetery offers various options for internment, including ground burial sites, a mausoleum, cremation niches and benches, and private and semiprivate estates.

Features

A prominent feature of the cemetery is the Living Cross, a 1,000-foot garden that includes the Fountain of Faith, designed by Swedish sculptor Carl Milles. The site also includes white marble sculptures of Christ’s Last Supper, as well as a genizah located in its King David Memorial Gardens.

The cemetery has several areas commemorating national events and tragedies, such as the attacks of September 11, 2001. Most prominent among these is the Four Chaplains Memorial, a sculpture representing a flying white bird. Created by abstract artist Constantino Nivol, the memorial honors the 4 United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save civilian and military personnel when the World War II-era SS Dorchester sank on February 3, 1943.

The grounds also include several sculptures related to the Christian and Buddhist religions.

Pet Cemetery

The complex includes Noah's Ark Pet Cemetery, housing graves for dogs, cats, horses and other animals.

Carl Milles works

Carl Milles’s Fountain of Faith includes sculpted bronze figures depicting men, women and children in the afterlife. The 1952 dedication event drew more than 24,000 people, including the press. Time magazine called the fountain “heaven on earth.” Newsweek deemed it “similar to a Renaissance masterpiece.” The Washington Post said it was “a delight to the eye.”

Milles also created 3 15-foot statues deemed “The Sun Singer.” One is in Stockholm, 1 is in Monticello, Illinois, and 1 is in National Memorial Park. The statue depicts the Greek god Apollo and his winged horse Pegasus.

Annual events

The annual Ching Ming Festival (or Qingming Festival) happens during the 1st week of April. This festival provides attendees the opportunity to honor their ancestors by praying, sweeping tombs and making various offerings.

Hundreds of guests also attend the High Holy Days event, where local rabbis conduct a service on the grounds. The annual event includes refreshments, choral singers and prayer books.

Notable burials

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 === Carl Milles works ===
-[[Carl Milles]]’s Fountain of Faith includes sculpted bronze figures depicting men, women and children in the afterlife. The 1952 dedication event drew more than 24,000 people, including the press. [[Time magazine]] called the fountain “heaven on earth.” Newsweek deemed it “similar to a Renaissance masterpiece.” The Washington Post said it was “a delight to the eye.”{{citations needed | date=November 2023}}
+[[Carl Milles]]’s Fountain of Faith includes sculpted bronze figures depicting men, women and children in the afterlife. The 1952 dedication event drew more than 24,000 people, including the press. [[Time magazine]] called the fountain “heaven on earth.” Newsweek deemed it “similar to a Renaissance masterpiece.” The Washington Post said it was “a delight to the eye.”
 Milles also created 3 15-foot statues deemed “The Sun Singer.” One is in Stockholm, 1 is in Monticello, Illinois, and 1 is in National Memorial Park. The statue depicts the Greek god Apollo and his winged horse [[Pegasus]].