Van Ness Mausoleum, (sculpture).

Van Ness Mausoleum, (sculpture).

Hadfield, George, ca. 1767-1826, architect.

Van Ness Mausoleum, (sculpture).

Digital Reference:

Brick, sandstone, and concrete.

Approx. H. 24 ft. x Diam. 24 ft.

The mausoleum, which was inspired by Rome's Temple of Vesta, is a round temple adorned with a dome supported by Greek Doric columns around a circular brick vault.

Homage -- Van Ness

Architecture -- Classical -- Temple

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

Oak Hill Cemetery, 3001 R Street, N.W., Lot 173 East, Washington, District of Columbia 20007

Michael Richman, SAAM curatorial assistant, 1967-1969.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 497.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 497.

The mausoleum, which cost $30,000, originally stood on the Van Ness family plot in a cemetery located on H Street, between Ninth and Tenth Streets, N.W. After the cemetery closed in 1872, the estate of John Peter Van Ness purchased the present lot in Oak Hill on Jan. 2, 1873, and the mausoleum was reinstalled in this new location. Originally, the mausoselum was topped with an ornamental urn, which disappeared sometime after the structure was moved to Oak Hill. The mausoleum houses the remains of John Peter Van Ness and four family members. John Peter Van Ness was a U.S. Representative from New York who later became one of the wealthiest landowners in the District of Columbia. In 1802, he married Marcia Burns, whose father, David Burns, owned much of downtown Washington, including the area now known as Lafayette Park, which was then known as Burns' Orchard.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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