On October 20 Carolyn Gimbal, senior architectural historian from Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) returned to a Greenbelt City Council worksession to give the results of her firm’s survey of Greenbelt’s three historic cemeteries and to present a draft Maintenance and Improvement Plan. She had presented an initial plan at the July 23 worksession, covered in the August 13, 2025, issue of the News Review. She plans to return in December for a final recommendation.
The JMT survey determined that upgrades were needed at all three of the historic cemeteries.
The Hamilton Cemetery is located on Hamilton Place beyond the Greenbelt Homes, Inc. offices. It was too overgrown to locate depressions that might indicate burials. The signage had deteriorated and gravestones had been removed to be stored by Public Works.
The Turner Cemetery is within the Greenbelt Cemetery on Ivy Lane. It is in the best condition of the three cemeteries. JMT located 15 stones there and three depressions that may indicate burials.
The Walker Cemetery, behind the office park on Walker Drive, is well-marked but difficult to reach on foot. There are five depressions there that might be burials. There is also a picnic area nearby.
Enslaved people were probably buried in unmarked graves in all the cemeteries. JMT recommended that the Greenbelt Reparations Committee might consider designing memorials to honor these people.
Draft Plan
The JMT draft Maintenance Plan included 1) establishing a cemetery maintenance team, 2) establishing a seasonal routine maintenance schedule, 3) making critical site repairs and improvements, 4) repatriating the removed grave markers, 5) installing new interpretive signage and monuments and 6) establishing heritage programming.
A minimum of two Public Works employees with training and a dedicated budget would be needed to handle a quarterly maintenance schedule for the cemeteries.
Paths and fencing were the critical improvements recommended. A path with pavers would make the Walker Cemetery more accessible. Fencing may be needed at all the cemeteries, but especially Hamilton Cemetery, to clearly delineate their boundaries.
Gravestones may not be able to be replaced exactly as their original locations are unknown, but they may be incorporated into new memorial designs.
JMT recommends identifying signage in line with other Greenbelt historic signage.
Signage and upkeep of the cemeteries could encourage more interest in them, more heritage tourism and more volunteers. An adopt-a-cemetery program was also recommended.
Jane Johnson, from the Pleasant Prospect chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), spoke about her group’s efforts to maintain the Walker cemetery. Nathan and Isaac Walker, Revolutionary War veterans, are buried there. The DAR chapter is in touch with a Walker family descendant who helped them find the cemetery. A copy of the 1937 DAR regent report about the chapter was given to Megan Searing Young, director of the Greenbelt Museum.
Gimbal asked for more specifics on labor costs to include in her final report. Council encouraged JMT to provide recommendations on how volunteers could be used in cemetery upkeep and a list of priorities to help with budgeting.
