Ord-Weitzel Gate ca. 1920Ord-Weitzel Gate 2010

The Ord-Weitzel Gate was originally located at the northwest corner of Arlington National Cemetery’s boundary fence. The Red Sandstone posts were an integral part of that installation. The gate incorporated a single stone column on each side of the road with a double wrought iron enclosure. Ord was inscribed on the southern column and Weitzel on the northern column.

Today, the relocated gate is in the northeastern portion of the boundary. It bears little resemblance to the original gate. Two bronze tablets are fastened to the current Ord-Weitzel Gate. Each table has an eagle in bold relief. Under the eagle on the east tablet is Arlington National Cemetery. The other tablet contains the words United States of America.

Historical image from the Library of Congress.

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Tagged: arlington, arlington cemetery, history, public spaces, virginia

Kent Boese posts items of historic interest, primarily within the District. He’s worked in libraries since 1994, both federal and law, and currently works on K Street. He’s been an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner serving the northern Columbia Heights and Park View neighborhoods since 2011 (ANC 1A), and served as the Commission’s Chair since 2013. He has a MS in Design from Arizona State University with strong interests in preservation, planning, and zoning. Kent is also the force behind the blog Park View, DC.