205 hearts
It's a place where the living and the dead share space—and dog owners and their pups are practically fighting to get in. The surprising spot is Washington D.C.'s Historic Congressional Cemetery (HCC), and it's anything but spooky. In fact, this burial ground—final home to everyone from congressmen to celebrated LGBTQ soldiers and veterans—is arguably one of the country's liveliest, best-known cemeteries. The engine behind its astonishing turnaround? Its members-only dog walking program, injecting life, community, and volunteerism into an extraordinary resting place.
Whoever said cemeteries are for the dead never met the members of the K9 Corps, the cemetery's private dog walking club. (Walking dogs at the cemetery is strictly by membership.) "A huge part of my social circle on the Hill comes from my dog walking friends at the cemetery," says Eric Dewaardt, who strolls the grounds twice a day with Timmy, an 11-year-old English Shepherd, and Ellie Mae, a two-year-old terrier/black Lab mix.
A K9 Corps member since moving to D.C. in 2003, Eric cherishes the cemetery because it's "beautiful, peaceful, historic, and has a vibrant social community." On his rounds, Eric drinks in the sights—the gravestones of famous Washingtonians—and the quiet.
Eric's bond with the cemetery goes deeper. Beyond the K9 Corps, Eric—a violist with the National Symphony Orchestra—runs Notes from the Crypt, a concert series in the HCC's chapel that stages six performances a year. Those are just two of many events on the grounds of the aptly named "America's Hippest Cemetery." The calendar also brims with Day of the Dog (a full day for dog lovers), Cinemetery (a monthly movie series), a book club, a 5K, docent-led historic walking tours, and Soul Strolls: Twilight Tours, which resurrects cemetery stories with costumed interpreters, per HCC program director Sarah Kirspel.
"People can enjoy the grounds as a community space, which lines up with the cemetery's original purpose—bringing people together to celebrate loved ones," says Sarah.
That backstory is part of what makes the HCC so special, says president Paul Williams. In the 1980s and '90s the cemetery stood abandoned, "with homeless people, prostitutes, drug dealers, and weeds up to your neck," he recalls. "It's the dogwalkers who began to self-tax themselves to hire someone to mow a path to a burial site back in 1989 that started the whole program."
Christine and Victor Romero, who've walked their dogs at the HCC since 1988, were among that founding group. "Back then there was a lot of unsavory activity happening in the cemetery. As the dog walkers showed up, that began to fade," says Christine. The group buoyed the cemetery by raising funds, donating their time, "and even mowing areas ahead of a funeral. Those with media, fundraising, accounting, and legal skills offered up their services." The K9 Corps was officially formalized in 1989.
"People connect with a disgraced cemetery and with before-and-after photos to see how far we've come," says Paul. "Historic cemeteries have to get creative with revenue because in many cases they eventually fill up and site sales stop being an option. We've got about 5,000 sites left, which will last decades—but we want to build a long-term income plan now for when that day comes."
That long-term plan includes the K9 Corps, which now raises just over 20 percent (about $245,000) of the cemetery's $1.2 million annual budget. Annual membership runs $235 (tax deductible), plus a $50 fee per dog, up to a maximum of three.
"It was the dogwalkers who took your relative's gravesite from an abandoned mess to the bucolic green space it is today," says Paul. "Dogs also keep wild animals at bay," and he calls the K9 community the cemetery's "built-in security. We don't worry about vandalism, kids drinking on the grounds, or theft of artifacts the way almost every other cemetery does."
While dogs can run off-leash inside the fenced grounds, the HCC is not a dog park—it's a working cemetery first. With its first burial in 1807, the HCC is the final resting place of more than 65,000 people, and its proximity to Capitol Hill means many are historical figures. J. Edgar Hoover (first FBI director), John Philip Sousa (U.S. Marine Band composer and conductor), silent film actress Mary Fuller, Civil War photographer Mathew Brady, and Choctaw Chief Push-Ma-Ta-Ha all lie here. The public vault once temporarily held presidents John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison, and Zachary Taylor, plus former first lady Dolley Madison.
"We're always unearthing fascinating 'permanent residents' when we dig into names and obits," says Paul. "For example, we recently found a young man killed by a tiger in 1899 as part of a traveling circus, buried with no headstone—the show must go on—and when we surfaced that, the community raised $5,000 for a really nifty headstone complete with the circus logo."
You needn't be famous to be laid to rest at the HCC—anyone can call the cemetery their final home, including four-legged family members. Last year the HCC opened the Kingdom of Animals, a section just for pets. Christine and Victor plan to buy bricks honoring their past and present dogs: rescued Weimaraners Ludwig, KiMo, Roscoe, and Finn.
For the living, dog-walking privileges are limited to K9 Corps members during posted hours. There's a schedule, which makes the cemetery less convenient than a quick trip to the park or around the block, plus a long list of rules: displaying membership tags, keeping dogs under control at all times, a limit of three K9 Corps dogs per human member, mandatory spaying, neutering, and up-to-date vaccination, and observing closure times (several hours on Saturdays and some holidays, plus during burials and services). Dogs must stay clear of visitors, services, ceremonies, group tours, and grounds crew; must be leashed when entering and exiting; and all users must respect the monuments and grave markers. Dog toys are banned. Breaking any rule means revocation of membership—and in severe cases, a permanent ban.
Despite the strict rules, the program is so wildly popular that more than 400 people have paid a non-refundable fee just to land on the waiting list for one of the 770 membership spots—"exactly the number we need to avoid overcrowding," says Paul. "It takes about four years to become a full member—depending on the election cycle in D.C. too. Lots of turnover after a presidential election if the party flips."
"People can enjoy the grounds as a community space, which lines up with the cemetery's original purpose—bringing people together to celebrate loved ones."
If you just want a taste, a one-day pass runs $10 at the cemetery's main office—and gate checkers may have passes on weekends. "People love the chance to walk their dogs, let them run in a safe space, or try it out before committing to membership," says Sarah.
Paul credits several factors for the program's popularity. "People on the Hill tend to have smallish homes with small backyards, and we offer a full, lush 35 acres to run and play," he says. "It's also a hugely social scene for the human owners—loads of friendships, socializing, and group get-togethers."
"It's a fantastic outdoor escape from the stress of the workday," agrees Christine. "History is written on the stones. Every day—even 30 years in—I spot something new. Dogs love the chance to socialize with each other and their human friends. Some members enjoy walking in silent meditation with their pups on these sacred grounds. We get to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood. Congressional Cemetery may be the final resting place for D.C. residents, but it's also a thriving community of neighbours."
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