Aspin Hill Memorial Park

Aspin Hill Memorial Park (also known as Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery) is a pet cemetery located in Aspen Hill, Maryland at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Aspen Hill Road, 7.5 miles north of Washington, D.C. The cemetery contains over 50,000 pet burials, and more than 50 human burials.[1] Aspin Hill Memorial Park is a designated site on the Montgomery County Master Plan for Preservation.[2]

Aspin Hill Memorial Park
Details
Established1920
Location
13630 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
Coordinates39°04′47″N 77°04′35″W
Owned byMontgomery County Humane Society
Size7.79 acres
No. of interments50,000
Websitehttps://www.mchumane.org/aspin-hill/
Find a GraveAspin Hill Memorial Park

Established in 1920, it is the fifth oldest pet cemetery still in operation in the United States. Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, established in 1896, is the oldest, followed by Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery (1907), Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals Pet Cemetery (1909), and Hillside Acre Animal Cemetery at Nevins Farm (1917).

History

Richard and Bertha Birney purchased property in July 1920 so they could breed Boston terriers, board other people's dogs, and establish a pet cemetery. Although it was located in the town of Aspen, later known as Aspen Hill, the Birneys christened their new property “Aspin Hill,” after a famous English kennel with the same name.[3] The Birneys’ breeding and boarding enterprise was called “Aspin Hill Kennels” and the cemetery was originally called “Aspin Hill Cemetery for Pet Animals.” The first pet burial, a St. Bernard, took place a month after they purchased the property. By 1925, there were nearly 500 animals buried there.[4]

Ownership of the Cemetery
  • 1920-1944: Richard and Bertha Birney. The Birneys died in 1944, a few months apart.
  • 1944-1946: The Birney's heirs
  • 1946-1988: Edgar Ruebush, a veterinarian. He was a silent partner in the pet cemetery business, which was run by:
    • 1944-1961 George and Gertrude Young
    • 1961-1985 S. Alfred Nash (who died in 1974) and his wife Martha.
  • 1988-1996: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
  • 1996-2007: Chesapeake Wildlife Sanctuary
  • 2007-present: Montgomery County Humane Society

Notable Burials
Cemetery scene, Aspin Hill Memorial Park

Spee De Bozo: J. Edgar Hoover's dog. Several other dogs belonging to Hoover are buried in the same plot. [5][6]

Rags: U.S. 1st Infantry Division's mascot during World War I. Rags heroics during the Meuse Argonne Campaign saved many lives. After the war, Rags was brought to the U.S. When he became old and frail, his owners boarded him at Aspin Hill where he died and was buried.[7][8]

General Grant of R.K.O.: Also known as "Jiggs," he was misidentified in the 1960s as being Petey from the "Our Gang" movies. He was briefly owned by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who gave him to a married couple, Arthur and Gabrielle Forbush, who worked for his administration.[9][10] Because "R.K.O." was in General Grant's AKC-registered name, it was assumed that he was a dog actor. However, R.K.O. Studios had nothing to do with the "Our Gang" movies. As can be seen by the photo on his gravestone, General Grant of R.K.O. was an English bulldog. Petey was an American pit bull terrier.

Napoleon, the Weather Prophet of Baltimore: Napoleon was the white Persian cat of Fanny deShields of Baltimore, Maryland. Whenever Napoleon switched from sleeping on his side to sleeping on his stomach with his paws on either side of his head, it would rain within 24 hours. Napoleon rose to fame because he correctly predicted the end of a troublesome drought in the region during the summer of 1930. From that point, until his death, Mrs. deShields fielded telephone calls from local farmers and people planning outdoor events wanting to know in what position Napoleon was sleeping.[11][12]

Gypsy: Gypsy was the capuchin monkey of Eddie Bernstein, a legless panhandler who frequented the upscale shopping district of northwest Washington, D. C. for over 40 years, starting in the mid-1930s. Gypsy died in 1976 and is buried at Aspin Hill.[13] Three years later, Eddie died unexpectedly in Florida. It was discovered that his estate was worth over $690,000 (about $2,500,000 in 2020 money).[14][15]

Future Plans

Montgomery County Humane Society has filed an application to develop the Aspin Hill property as their new headquarters. The construction would occur on the two-plus acres of the cemetery property where the previous owners used to live and run their kennel, and where there have never been any burials. The society also plans to improve the cemetery.[16]

Aspin Hill History

References
  1. Kelly, John (2019-09-03). "More than 50,000 animals are buried in this cemetery". The Washington Post. p. B-3.
  2. "Historic Designation and Research, Montgomery Planning, Historic Preservation Office".
  3. "Aspin Hill Memorial Park".
  4. "Touching Epitaphs in Pets' Cemetery; Funeral for Dogs, Cats, and Other Domestic Animals Often Elaborate". The Evening Star. 1925-03-23. p. 4.
  5. "Cemeteries For House Pets". The Baltimore Sun. 1939-05-07. p. 2, section 1.
  6. "Find A Grave: Spee De Bozo".
  7. Hayter-Menzies, Grant (2015). From Stray Dog to World War I Hero: The Paris Terrier Who Joined the First Division. Lincoln, Nebraska: Potomac Books.
  8. "Find A Grave: Rags".
  9. Atchison, Lewis F. (1948-02-04). "Doggie Newsletter Stems From Gift of F. D. R.". The Evening Star. p. KA-18.
  10. "Find A Grave: General Grant of R.K.O."
  11. "Napoleon, The Weather Cat, Has Forecast Last Storm". The Baltimore Sun. 1936-05-18. p. 18.
  12. "Find A Grave: Napoleon, The Weather Prophet of Baltimore, MD".
  13. Sherwood, John (1976-10-09). "Dean of Panhandlers Mourns His Monkey". Evening Star. p. 3.
  14. "Rags and Riches: Panhandler 'Eddie the Monkey Man' Leaves Fortune in D.C. and Florida". The Washington Post. 1979-03-01. p. A1.
  15. {{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/201978014/gypsy-bernstein | title=Find A Grave: Gypsy
  16. "Mont.Co. Humane Society Campus, Plan Number: 120190100, Development Applications, Montgomery Planning".
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