Springfield National Cemetery

Springfield National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Springfield, in Greene County, Missouri. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses 18.1 acres (7.3 ha), and as of the end of 2005, had 14,685 interments.

Springfield National Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Springfield National Cemetery
Location	1702 E. Seminole St., Springfield, Missouri
Coordinates	37°10′23″N 93°15′52″W
Area	18.1 acres (7.3 ha)
Built	1867
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
MPS	Civil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.	99001045[1]
Added to NRHP	August 27, 1999

History

Established in 1867 as a place to initially inter Civil War Union soldiers, many of whom died at the Battle of Wilson's Creek.[2] In 1871 a section for Confederate soldiers was added.[2] It has since been expanded and opened to all veterans, and now has the interred remains of soldiers from wars dating back to the Revolutionary War.[2] The cemetery lends its name to National Avenue in Springfield, which formerly passed by the cemetery prior to the southern expansion of the city decades ago.[3]

Notable monuments

• A marble pillar dedicated to Union General Nathaniel Lyon in 1888.
• A bronze sculpture dedicated to Confederate General Sterling Price in 1901.
• The Battle of Wilson's Creek Memorial.
• A monument dedicated to Pearl Harbor survivors, erected in 1992.
• The Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution Memorial, dedicated to the Continental Army soldiers who died in the Revolutionary War.

Notable interments

• Medal of Honor recipients
  • Sergeant Harrison Collins, for action in the Civil War
  • Corporal Orion P. Howe, for action in the Civil War
  • Pharmacist's Mate Chief Petty Officer Fred H. McGuire, for action in the Philippine–American War
  • Captain Patrick Pentzer, for action in the Civil War
  • Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Jack Williams, for action in World War II
• Others
  • Richard Hanson Weightman (1816–1861), Delegate to the United States Congress from New Mexico Territory and Civil War Confederate officer
  • Horton Smith (1908–1963), World War II US Army Air Corps captain and professional golfer
  • Various Buffalo Soldiers

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "Springfield National Cemetery Springfield, Missouri". nps.gov. National Park Service. Initially created as a final resting place for Union soldiers who died in battle near Springfield, the cemetery now contains the remains of veterans from other wars, including the Revolutionary War, Spanish–American War, and World War II. The Springfield National Cemetery also includes a six-acre portion established by the Confederate Cemetery Association in 1871.
3. Therese T. Sammartino (April 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Springfield National Cemetery" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2017-01-01. (includes 30 photographs from 1998)

External links

• National Cemetery Administration
• Springfield National Cemetery
• Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) No. MO-4, "Springfield National Cemetery, 1702 East Seminole Street, Springfield, Greene County, MO", 35 photos, 3 photo caption pages
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Springfield National Cemetery
• Springfield National Cemetery at Find a Grave