What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath (HM2GR3)

Location:
Buy flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 39.756', W 77° 9.677'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 234 views
Inscription
George Mason and his first wife, Ann Eilbeck Mason, began this burial ground in 1772. At that time, wealthy Virginians preferred to be buried at home instead of the local parish church. Multiple generations of women, men, and children—both enslaved and free—lived and died at Gunston Hall and many were buried here.

In 1922, a small group reclaimed the overgrown area by planting the cedar trees and building the brick wall around a few surviving headstones. These early preservationists hoped to protect the old markers from future damage, including the original box tomb of Ann Eilbeck Mason. The volunteers guessed the original layout of the cemetery.

Today, we know a lot more. Gunston Hall learned this graveyard covers 13,200 square-feet to the north and west by using three scientific technologies:

-ground penetrating radar,
-electromagnetic conductivity, and
-magnetic gradiometry.

These scanning techniques located at least 23 other adults inside the enclosure and more than 70 outside. However, this scan did not detect two infant gravesites, which appear in historic documents.

Where Is George Mason Buried?

Mason ordered a pair of matching limestone tombs from England for himself and his first wife, Ann.

He installed his wife's at this



new family burial ground after her death on March 9, 1773, while his own tomb stayed in storage in Alexandria. When George Mason died on October 7, 1792, the stone box had disappeared. It was never brought to Gunston Hall. Today. Mason's tomb is an exact copy of his wife's, made in 1960.

Who Else Is Buried Here?

Further research may reveal the identities or occupations of these once forgotten individuals.

All Gunston Hall residents lived through the same life experiences of birth, mourning, marriage, and re-marriage. How did enslaved people at Gunston Hall commemorate their dead? Were enslaved people buried in this area, near Mason family members? We do not know.
Details
HM NumberHM2GR3
Tags
Placed ByGeorge Mason's Guston Hall
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, May 13th, 2019 at 11:01am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 311955 N 4281552
Decimal Degrees38.66260000, -77.16128333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 39.756', W 77° 9.677'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 39' 45.36" N, 77° 9' 40.62" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near , ,
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What country is the marker located in?
  2. Is this marker part of a series?
  3. What historical period does the marker represent?
  4. What historical place does the marker represent?
  5. What type of marker is it?
  6. What class is the marker?
  7. What style is the marker?
  8. Does the marker have a number?
  9. What year was the marker erected?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?