Histopolis Place-of-the-Day

Histopolis features a different cemetery, town, county or other place every day on the Place-of-The-Day.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Histopolis Place-of-the-Day for Sunday, December 5, 2010 is the Loudon Park National Cemetery in Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland.

"Loudon Park National Cemetery, originally a military cemetery located within the private Loudon Park Cemetery, is located in southwest Baltimore, Md. It was one of the 14 original national cemeteries established under the National Cemetery Act of July 17, 1862.

"The first inhabitants arrived in the region during the early 17th century, but the city of Baltimore was not founded until 1729. Due to an excellent harbor, Baltimore became an important port for the export and import of goods, particularly tobacco and grain. It was an important shipbuilding center, especially during the American Revolution and early 1800s when the famous Baltimore Clippers were built here. After the War of 1812, Baltimore experienced a period of dramatic growth due to the construction of the National Road and, later, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. During the Civil War, the city harbored pro-Southern sympathizers. When the 6th Massachusetts Regiment passed through Baltimore on its way south, for example, a mob attacked the Union soldiers. Despite being located less than 100 miles from the nation’s capital, no major Civil War battles occurred in Baltimore. However, as a major port city and home of the B&O railroad, it was a key transportation center during the war.

"Loudon Park National Cemetery was established in 1862 with most of the original interments coming from Baltimore hospitals, as well as the Relay House and Elkridge Landing. The Relay House was a popular hotel for B&O passengers in the 19th century. Located on the mainline route, Union regiments occupied the town of Relay beginning in May 1861. The Relay House became the headquarters for Union officers and enlisted men stationed in the area to protect the railroad from Confederate saboteurs. Elkridge Landing was another important Maryland transportation center at risk of enemy occupation or destruction during the war. Not only was Elkridge Landing a deep-water port in use since the Colonial period, but the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad ran through it as a vital link to the B&O, iron mines and furnaces.

"Nearby, Fort McHenry served as a prison camp for Confederate soldiers and Southern sympathizers during the war. In summer 1863, the prison became overcrowded after nearly 7,000 POWs from the Battle of Gettysburg were brought there. Although death rates at Fort McHenry were lower than at other Union prison facilities, a number of Confederate soldiers died while imprisoned there and they were buried at Loudon Park National Cemetery.

"In addition, approximately 299 remains from the soldiers’ lots in Laurel Cemetery, Md., were reinterred at Loudon in 1884. A report from the inspector of national cemeteries in 1871 cites 1,789 total interments; among them 139 “Rebel Soldiers, Prisoners of War” who died at Fort McHenry. The original five cemetery acres grew through a series of land acquisitions in 1874, 1875, 1882, 1883 and 1903.

"The cemetery is bounded by an iron fence with formal cast-iron gates at the entrance; a two-story folk Victorian lodge was built in the 1890s. Loudon Park National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996."

Explore Loudon Park National Cemetery on Histopolis now. If you have a place that you would like to see featured as the Histopolis Place-of-the-Day, contact the webmaster to suggest it.

December 2010

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Note: The first Place-of-the-Day was in September 2010