Fayetteville National Cemetery

Fayetteville National Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
File:Fayetteville National Cemetery enterance.jpg
Cemetery entrance on Government Avenue
Location	700 Government Ave., Fayetteville, Arkansas
Coordinates
Area	11.6 acres (4.7 ha)
Built	1867
MPS	Civil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP Reference #	99000892
Added to NRHP	July 28, 1999

Fayetteville National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located on the southern side of the city of Fayetteville in Washington County, Arkansas. It encompasses nearly 15 acres (6.1 ha) and as of November 2013, had 8,673 interments.

History

The original plot of 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land for the National Cemetery was purchased from local residents in 1867, it was laid out in sections with space for around 1,800 interments. The first interments were remains moved from battlefield cemeteries of the Battle of Prairie Grove and the Battle of Pea Ridge. By 1871 there were 1,200 interments made in the cemetery, most of which were unidentified.

During World War II the cemetery was enlarged and five more sections were added.

In 1989, the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation (RNCIC - a group of locals, veterans, and other concerned benefactors) raised enough money to purchase an additional 3 acres (1.2 ha) of land, and donated it to the cemetery. The group continued their efforts over the years and donated numerous plots of land. In their latest and largest donation they donated 2.3 acres in ceremonies at the National Cemetery on November 9, 2013.

Fayetteville National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 1999.

Notable monuments

• The Revolutionary War Soldier Memorial, erected in the early 1990s.
• The Purple Heart Memorial, erected in 2000 to honor Purple Heart recipients.

Notable interments

• Clarence B. Craft, Medal of Honor recipient
• Vance Randolph, noted Ozarks folklorist and author

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Arkansas

External links

• National Cemetery Administration
• Fayetteville National Cemetery
• Fayetteville National Cemetery List of Burials
• Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corp.
• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. AR-39-A, "Fayetteville National Cemetery, Superintendent's Lodge, 700 Government Avenue, Fayetteville, Washington County, AR", 8 photos, 1 photo caption page
• Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) No. AR-1, "Fayetteville National Cemetery, 700 Government Avenue, Fayetteville, Washington County, AR", 36 photos, 3 photo caption pages
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fayetteville National Cemetery
• Fayetteville National Cemetery at Find a Grave