Within the next six to nine months, the inventory of burial sites at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in the Town of Herndon will be maxed out.
That’s why the town is embarking on an expansion of burial sites within the existing cemetery property, according to Cindy Roeder, the director of the town’s parks and recreation department.
More than 920 military veterans laid to rest at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Herndon will be honored during a special ceremony later this month.
The Town of Herndon is working with the Herndon Woman’s Club and Wreaths Across America for the remembrance ceremony, which is open to the public and begins at noon on Saturday, Dec. 17.
Rabies Confirmed in Biting Coyote — The Fairfax County Health Department confirmed yesterday (Monday) that a coyote that bit four people and two dogs over the weekend in the Lake Accotink area was infected with rabies. Anyone who touched or was bitten or scratched by the animal should call the county health department’s rabies program at 703-246-2433, TTY 711. [FCHD]
Confederate Soldier’s Tombstone Defaced — The letters ‘CS,’ ‘NVA,’ and a Star of David were spraypainted on the tombstone of Armistead T. Thompson in the Thompson Family Cemetery by the Pan Am Shopping Center in Merrifield. Fairfax County police received a report last Tuesday (May 31) and said the property management is working to remove it, though as of Sunday (June 5), the graffiti was still there. [Patch]
Cemeteries are essential guides to the past, documenting ancestries and settlement patterns, but in Fairfax County, hundreds of sites risk being lost to time themselves, with some even unmarked or abandoned.
To prevent that, the county has undertaken a massive archaeological initiative to create a map of their locations to preserve history, provide information for development and more. The county will also create a manual for how to care for cemeteries, according to an announcement on April 14 launching the survey.
Chestnut Grove Cemetery, a historic cemetery deeded to the Town of Herndon, is poised to increase fees for burials, lots and other services.
As part of ongoing budget discussions for fiscal year 2023, the town is considering increasing fees by between 13.5 and 15% for most lots.
A damaged headstone for a Revolutionary War patriot is being replaced, part of a sweeping effort to preserve cemeteries in Fairfax County.
The headstone for Francis Summers is located in the Summers Family Cemetery in Lincolnia, where the remains of a few dozen people have been buried. A rededication ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. on April 30 at the site, which is located on Lincolnia Road between Deming Avenue and Barnum Lane.
