Fall 2016 News from Oak Hill The NEWSLETTER of the FRIENDS of OAK HILL CEMETERY From The President September 2016 The Ellipse is a space that has changed repeatedly since Oak Hill was founded. Photo by Doug Christian At the rear of Oak Hill begun to fail. It was time to to add a large box structure Cemetery is our Carriage House, repair the steps, and so we have under the patio that will hold the building generously donated taken the opportunity to communal cremated remains, a by the Basil family, where we enhance the area, while adding technique that has been used by store our maintenance equip- new matching granite boxes on other cemeteries around the ment. Just west and above there the sides of the steps. We have world. The metal railing was are two sets of steps, built in removed the stone cladding, and made unnecessary, and so 1988 with approximately 68 sets designed a new foundation for removed to other locations and of in-step boxes designed for cre- the side boxes, while adding a reused. A storm forced us to take mated remains. Over the years, patio in the middle of the two down the lovely beech tree, the mortar joints had deteriorat- sets of steps. On it may be placed nearby pathways have been ed, and the natural stone that a bench and perhaps a piece of rebuilt and sodded, new granite clad the sides of the steps had sculpture. We are also planning drainage has been added. The continued on page 6 1 NEWS from OAK HILL Fall 2016 OAK HILL CEMETERY 3001 R Street, N.W. Memorial Trees Washington, D.C. 20007-2923 Telephone: 202-337-2835 Fax: 202-337-6481 www.oakhillcemeterydc.org Email: [email protected] Establish a lasting memorial Cemetery Hours From time to time, the Office and grounds: Cemetery is asked to memorial- 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, M - F. Saturday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. ize someone, a family member Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, or close friend, who may or may (weekends walk-in gate only and no drive-in access on holidays either) weather permitting. not be interred at Oak Hill. Please observe rules posted at gate. The “Memorial Trees” provide Board of Managers a unique opportunity for Patrons to establish a lasting “Memorial Tree” sites. These trees will be George G. Hill, President, memorial and enhance the identified by a six-inch monument at the base John W. Gill, President Emeritus identifying an honoree. David C. deVicq, Vice President landscape. Patrons may select Marisa Bourgoin, Secretary the site, the tree species (if trees will enhance the Loretta Castaldi, Treasurer David Jackson, Superintendent there are multiple species desig- Cemetery in the best possible nated) and the inscription for way for decades. Historic Preservation Foundation Board the stone monument. Trees and We will designate many of Marissa Bourgoin monuments will be installed the “Memorial Tree” sites. Richard L Fischer each November. Commitments George Hill These trees will be identified by Mimsy Lindner for trees should be made by the a six-inch monument at the Judi Cochran end of September each year. base identifying an honoree. Clift Seferlis Darla Jackson Here is how it works: The monument will be carved David Jackson, Executive Director We will plant trees in the stone and will be moved from Elizabeth Mizell, Development Specialist Cemetery in the fall to replace the tree trunk as the tree Cemetery Publications some lost over the years. With matures, preserving the memo- Available in the cemetery office the counsel of Bartlett Trees, rial aspect of the planting. The we are selecting sites for new Memorial Trees will be ordered “Oak Hill Cemetery” trees, determining the best A brief history – contains a map of in October for November deliv- the cemetery, list of notable people species suited for each site. ery and planting each year. buried in Oak Hill and a brief history Each site will be evaluated as to Monuments will be ordered at of our founding. $3.00 its location, available sunlight, the same time so they are Oak Hill Note Cards and its effect on the surrounds installed at the plantings. Set of eight note cards featuring four scenes of Oak Hill Cemetery over the long term. The majori- This will be an on-going through the seasons. Envelopes ty of the native trees in the program as the need for included. $5.00 cemetery are White Oak and replacement trees will always “Oak Hill Cemetery, Poplar. Over the years many be present. Georgetown, DC Monument varieties were added but some- Inscriptions and Burial Data” If you are interested in Two-volume set, including times in their maturity, they being a Patron of a Memorial matching sleeve. $175.00 became a problem due to root Tree, please contact the Oak All photos in this newsletter were invasion or blocking sunlight. Hill Cemetery office for all taken by Oak Hill Staff, unless Our plan is that newly planted the details. otherwise noted. 2 Oak Hill Historic Preservation Foundation Board of Directors Named New members of the Oak Hill Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation. In the next Historic Preservation Foundation Board of meeting, the group will elect its officers and begin Directors met together for the first time in August. deliberations on their mission, to raise funds for For many years the Cemetery Board of Managers preservation projects at Oak Hill. has also acted as the Board for the Preservation The new Historic Preservation Foundation Board of Directors are: Foundation. But recently, the Managers have recog- nized the need for an enthusiastic group of Marissa Bourgoin Judi Cochran individuals to focus solely on the efforts to develop Richard L Fischer Clift Seferlis funding for longer term cemetery needs. The first George Hill Darla Jackson meeting was a chance for the new board members Mimsy Lindner to meet each other and informally discuss their Dave Jackson will serve as Executive Director of the Foundation. backgrounds, interest in Oak Hill, and understand Elizabeth Mizell will serve as Development Specialist. the relationship between the two entities, Oak Hill Please congratulate our new Board of Directors and support Cemetery Company and the Oak Hill Cemetery them in their efforts! Treasurer’s Report The fiscal year ended with positive net revenues by Loretta Castaldi Oak Hill Cemetery ended the fiscal year on goal is to build reserves to a level that will allow the April 30, 2016 in stable financial condition. The cemetery to continue operation for at least a centu- Cemetery has no debt. The Cemetery has ade- ry after sales cease. quate inventory of saleable sites and financial Funds were also used during the fiscal year to reserves to fund Cemetery operations for many continue major drainage projects in the Stewart years to come. Moreover, the Cemetery has signifi- and Cocoran sections of the cemetery, and to cant, untapped space that can be developed into repave and enhance the road on North Hill. additional burial sites as the current inventory is Under the engineering guidance of board Vice depleted. President, David de Vicq, most of the labor for the The fiscal year ended with positive net drainage projects was performed by in-house revenues. employees. This saved the cemetery money and Thanks to the generosity of donors, and posi- also developed the employees's skill set. tive net revenues for the fiscal year ending April In the upcoming year, we will continue work on 2016, Oak Hill Cemetery more than doubled the cemetery improvements and contribute to the capi- scheduled annual installment to the reserves. The tal reserve fund. 3 NEWS from OAK HILL Fall 2016 Superintendent’s Report by Dave Jackson Something you already know….. the past summer was brutally hot. The effects have been very evident in many places in the cemetery, Shrubs, some trees, especially new ones, and grass planted within the past couple of years have all shown signs of distress. The only irrigat- ed area of the cemetery is the Ellipse at the 30th street entry. Otherwise we depend on mother nature or the crew hauls water in buckets or uses hoses from the few water spigots we have around the grounds. We depend Photo by Doug Christian primarily on Brian Williamson, Last fall we completed a substantial road project up Northern Avenue to Circular Avenue. our foreman, Jose Guzmon, and continue to be amazed and large number of stones there. Mainor Pinor-Torres to perform proud to be associated with this Lot holders around Circular these jobs, plus they trim and very hardworking group. Avenue, Fowlers Circle, and in mow the grounds. These gentle- We annually report "ceme- the Stewart Section will see a men are dedicated to their work tery" activities in this newsletter. substantial improvement in these at Oak Hill, show up every day, In the last fiscal year that ended areas. They have transformed and work a full day. As you prob- in April, 2016 there were 45 from barely attractive to some of ably know, our staff hand digs all interments and inurnments. This the most attractive in Oak Hill. burial spaces in the ground. That compares to 39 in 2015 and 49 There continues work under the means "picks and shovels" as in 2014. Last fall we completed direction of Vice-President opposed to modern backhoes or a substantial road project up David deVicq that will improve tractors which won't fit within Northern Avenue to Circular other areas. our confined spaces. They pre- Avenue. We also finished with In October we will pare nine-foot deep sites for solving drainage issues in the restore/rebuild Western Avenue caskets several times a year.