Smithsonian Connections at Oak Hill Cemetery
Today we’re excited to welcome Laura Hackfeld to the Historic America Journal. Laura is a senior staff member at DC’s Historic Oak Hill Cemetery and her article is all about the cemetery’s notable interments and their connection to America’s greatest institution of learning…
Oak Hill Cemetery is a hidden gem: a hideaway along a serene hillside, terraced all the way down to Rock Creek, permanently housing some of D.C.’s most extraordinary citizens. From politicians and military men, to authors and scientists, Oak Hill boasts brilliant minds from all walks of life. When I was hired as a Weekend Host at Oak Hill in January of 2020, I had no idea how many stories laid buried here. After a year of diving into our old files and wandering the grounds, I now know that learning all of the cemetery’s stories will be a lifelong research project. There are over 19,700 burials here, after all, and one third of them are unmarked. What was recommended to me, as someone coming in with essentially no knowledge, was to simply dive in! I grabbed our in-house materials, and read-up on our list of 60+ ‘Notables’ here in the cemetery. Among the Inventors, I discovered Joseph Henry, who innovated a more powerful electromagnet, and served as the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, from 1846-1878.
Statue of Joseph Henry right outside the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC
There is no denying the cultural significance of the Smithsonian Institution in American culture. The free museums on the mall and throughout Washington D.C. draw millions of visitors through their halls every year, from around the country and the world. The Air and Space Museum, the American History Museum, National Art Galleries, the Native American Museum, the African-American Museum, and the Natural History Museum are the many faces of an institution dedicated to educating the public. As a leading American scientist, Henry was elected Secretary to lead the Institution’s mission to research, publish, and exchange information in a time where it was not immediately accessible. Henry was reluctant to open a museum. Although he ended up living there eventually, Henry at first opposed the building of the Smithsonian Castle. He cited his concerns of wasting money on a ‘monument’ when the institution was, and still is, maintained as an endowment. Nevertheless, Henry moved into the Castle with his family, and passed away in his family’s apartment on May 13, 1878.
The truth, however, can be stranger than fiction, and this is the truth: Joseph Henry was not buried until October 20, 1880. Read that again, and think about it. In 1878, a prominent man died, but was not buried for two years. How is this possible? Where was Henry’s body during those two years? The answer lay hidden in the cemetery’s files, stored away for a blossoming historical researcher like myself to find, and find I did! As it turns out, the answer lies with Joseph Henry’s successor: Spencer Fullerton Baird.
Spencer Fullerton Baird, first curator of the Smithsonian
Spencer Fullerton Baird was an American naturalist, born in February of 1823. Growing up, Spencer sparked his passion for nature while exploring the fields of Pennsylvania with his brother. This was encouraged by ornithologist, John James Audubon, who taught Baird informally from a young age. Baird eventually earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Dickinson College, and spent some time there working there as a professor. By 1850, Baird was regarded as one of the world’s most distinguished naturalists, with more than a thousand titles published under his name. This body of work was attractive to the Smithsonian, and Baird was brought on as the Smithsonian’s first curator.
Remember how Henry was opposed to the idea of a museum? When Baird arrived for his appointment at the Smithsonian, he brought along two train cars full of his personal natural history collection: over 6,000 specimens! Baird hoped his personal collection, donated to the Smithsonian, would lead to the creation of a National Museum. During his tenure, Baird expanded the Smithsonian’s Natural History collection to over 2 million artifacts.
While originally brought on as curator, Baird’s writing strengths made him a perfect assistant to then- Secretary, Joseph Henry. The two worked together closely for 38 years to develop the Smithsonian into an information hub: connecting scientists around the world to new ideas through publications arranged and exchanged through the Smithsonian’s worldwide network.
As Henry’s tenure as Secretary continued on, Baird was determined to fund his dream museum. In 1862, Henry allowed Baird to bring in additional scientific collections, and in 1872, Baird was gifted full responsibility for management of the US National Museum. Baird knew he had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak. Using the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Baird arranged the completion of many award-winning exhibits, creating new connections with scientists from around the country. Baird was able to convince many of these scientists to donate their collections to the Smithsonian, but there wasn’t enough room to store it all in D.C. In 1879, Congress approved funding for the building of a new National Museum, the beginning of Baird’s dream coming true.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Joseph Henry died in 1878, before Congress approved the new museum. One day after Henry’s death, on May 14, Spencer Fullerton Baird wrote a letter to the Superintendent of Oak Hill Cemetery:
“Dear Sir, As Trustee and part-owner of the Churchill Vault, I have authorized the deposit in it of the remains of Prof. Joseph Henry until his family can obtain a lot in Oak Hill Cemetery to answer their purpose. You will therefore make the necessary arrangements with Mr. Buckley for the transfer to the vault after the services in the Chapel are completed, on Thursday next.”
It appears the mystery has been solved! Henry was laid to rest in the vault belonging to the family of Spencer Fullerton Baird (more specifically, his wife’s side of the family) following his death. It seems that Henry had not secured a place for himself before his passing, and his family would need some time to make plans of their own. Baird, being a generous man, offered a space for his good friend to rest until the proper arrangements could be made. On October 20, 1880, Henry was disinterred from the Churchill-Baird Vault, and moved to his family’s newly purchased plot: the Henry Crescent.
Today, all three men — Henry, Baird, and Rau — are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery
Three days after Henry’s death, Baird was unanimously voted in as the Second Secretary of the Smithsonian. Baird oversaw the building and opening of his much-loved National Museum, accomplishing a lifelong dream. As Secretary, he continued the collection of natural specimens, and added new departments to the Institution. The curator of the Department of Antiquities was a man named Dr. Charles Rau. German-born, Rau earned a degree from the University of Heidelberg, and emigrated to the US in 1848, becoming a teacher in New York City. Beginning in 1863, Rau’s scientific articles were published by the Smithsonian, and he began appearing in nearly every annual report. His passion for archaeology was recognized upon his appointment as Curator, and he devoted himself to the study of American Archaeology. Rau passed on July 25, 1887, and Baird followed on August 19, 1887.
All three of these great men, Joseph Henry, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and Charles Rau, now rest forever behind the gates of Oak Hill Cemetery, and our connection to the Smithsonian Institution is permanently cemented!
If you’d like to learn more about Oak Hill Cemetery, you can visit us on our social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Call us at 202-337-2835, or visit us in-person at 3001 R St NW, Washington DC 20007.