About Rockville Cemetery

Rockville Cemetery, on Baltimore Road, is our community’s oldest burial ground, located near the eastern edge of the City of Rockville, the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland. The upper, western section of the cemetery is separated by age, a stream, and a dramatic change in elevation from the lower, eastern section. With gravestones dating from 1752 to the present, it is a classic 19th century rural cemetery alongside a mid-20th century lawn plan cemetery.The property is designated Rockville Historic District.

The roster of persons buried at Rockville Cemetery reads like a “Who’s Who” of Montgomery County and Rockville. Here you’ll find veterans from every American conflict, town mayors and county officials, farmers and carpenters, and well-known names in baseball, aviation, education, literature and astronomy.

From the Beginning

Burials in the frontier began soon after an Anglican chapel of ease was established here in 1738; the oldest extant tombstone is dated 1752. Nearly a century later, Christ Episcopal Church moved its congregation into the small town of Rockville but continued to use the graveyard. In 1880, representatives of five Protestant denominations incorporated the Rockville Cemetery Association of Montgomery County. The upper cemetery evolved into a stunning example of the Rural Cemetery movement, where the picturesque landscape, curving roads, attractive monuments, and plantings provided continuity for families and the community. Demand for space led to the addition of the lower cemetery, which was laid out in 1936 by Philadelphia landscape architect Robert Cridland as a handsome Lawn Cemetery. The property consists of 26.64 acres in which are buried more than 4,600 individuals. As Rockville continued to grow, so did the cemetery and the property was annexed into the City boundaries in 1984. Burials are still conducted every month of the year. Rockville Cemetery has experienced highs and lows in its 250-year history. Rejuvenated by the new corporation in the 1880s, the neglected cemetery’s future brightened under new stewardship and functioned as a community burial ground accessible to all. The Rockville Union Cemetery Society, an active women’s group led by Rebecca Thomas (Biays) Veirs, assumed management and maintenance to transform the property from a veritable wilderness into a place of quiet beauty. By the late 20th century, though, Association maintenance and community interest had declined dramatically.

In 2001, lot owners, community members, and public officials stepped up to incorporate Rockville Cemetery Association, Inc. (RCA) in response to an outcry of public indignation about conditions in the cemetery. RCA, which was recognized by the IRS as a private 501(c)13 non-profit organization, accepted title to the property and elected a new Board of Directors to turn the situation around. The association has improved the ongoing maintenance and appearance of the property. Extensive capital work was accomplished as well, including repairs to the 1889 caretaker’s cottage and outbuilding, extensive renovation of internal roads, drainage improvements, repair of hundreds of damaged and fallen tombstones, and installation of road signs to assist visitors in finding sites of family members and notable people buried here.

At the helm was Dr. Stephen Cluskey Cromwell, a beloved retired Rockville physician and descendant of Rebecca Veirs. Dr. Cromwell enjoyed reconnecting with many of his former patients and working with families in their time of need. He served as President for 13 years, during which time the Association considerably improved the cemetery’s condition. In 2014, Dr. Cromwell retired from the Board and was honored as President Emeritus. The following year, he was buried with military honors here.

Burt Hall, long-time leader of the City of Rockville Recreation & Parks Department and member of the new Board elected in 2001, served as RCA president from April 2014 to April 2020. Under his stewardship grave sales and burials grew substantially, improving RCA’s financial position. Thanks to stalwart contributions from multiple Board members, the Association continued the conversion of all cemetery records to digital format; grave site codification was standardized; a new generation of high-quality section maps was created; the website was expanded and enhanced; the caretakers cottage was refurbished and upgraded, including a public water connection; a tree planting plan was completed with more than 30 trees planted; and a more robust program of community events was initiated.

Mike Grant, an active member of the Board since his retirement from the National Park Service, took over as President in April 2020.