EPILOGUE: Fredericksburg National Cemetery under the National Park Service
An aerial view of Fredericksburg National Cemetery as it looked under the National Park Service in the mid-20th century. Note the sparsity of trees compared to earlier years.
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The National Park Service constructed an interpretive station on the brow of Marye’s Heights. Although it provided an excellent view of the battlefield, later administrators deemed it inappropriate for the cemetery, particularly in light of the fact that the brick pad between the bench and the painting covered several graves.
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A cannon on the crest of the hill emphasized the fact that Marye’s Heights was, in fact, not just a cemetery, but also a battlefield. Like the interpretive station, the cannon too has been removed to a point down the ridge, just outside the cemetery.
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Each Memorial Day weekend the National Park Service sponsors a Luminaria on the cemetery grounds. It is among the most popular programs on city calendar, attracting some 5,000 visitors a year.