Classical Echoes in Oak Hill Cemetery

Enjoy an evening about Oak Hill Cemetery on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at The George Town Club at 1530 Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. Purchase tickets here.

Since its founding in 1849, Oak Hill has been the final resting place of the well-known and the well-heeled. This Georgetown cemetery was established on land contributed by W. W. Corcoran, founder of the Riggs National Bank and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The grounds were laid out by Captain George F. de la Roche in the style of a garden park cemetery, and James Renwick, Jr. designed the cemetery’s stone gates and historic chapel.

After a brief history of the cemetery, the speakers will highlight some of the elements found in the architecture and sculpture of Oak Hill, including the Van Ness Mausoleum, which was designed as a replica of the Temple of Vesta in Rome. Featured monuments will also shed light on connections between Oak Hill and the adaptation of classical art and architecture in the federal buildings of Washington, D.C.

Presented by: Elise A. Friedland, Associate Professor of Classics and Art History, GWU, and Laura Thoms, Archivist & Collection Manager, Oak Hill Cemetery, Landscape Architect

Refreshments will be served.