Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia

During our trip to Winchester, Virginia, and Washington, DC, we visited the Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester. If you know much about Laura and me, you know we love a good cemetery. And this one had lots of interesting history. Here is just a little of what we saw.

For starters, the Gatehouse at the Mount Hebron Cemetery was an impressive structure. Although you cannot see it well here, you enter the cemetery by driving through an arched opening at the center of the building. In this photo, you can see the top of the arch behind the bush at the center of the photo.

It was interesting to see all of the grave markers at Mount Hebron. There were so many there that we did not have time to see them all. I did like this fenced-off section, although I do not know the history behind any of these people buried in this section.

There are some well-known people buried in Mount Hebron. One of them is General Daniel Morgan, who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and later commanded troops during the Whiskey Rebellion. General Morgan died in 1802 and was originally buried in the Old Stone Presbyterian Church graveyard. His body was then moved to Mount Hebron after the Civil War.

This marker was near the more modern monument at General Morgan’s gave. It was interesting to see how the original marker had been damaged over time, and a new marker using the remains of the old marker had been made. The marker reads:

Major General Daniel Morgan
departed this life
on July the 6th 1802
in the 67th Year of his Age.
Patriotism and Valor were the
prominent Features of his Character
And
the honorable Services he rendered
to his Country
during the Revolutionary war
crowned him with Glory and
will remain in the Hearts of his
Countrymen
A perpetual Monument
to his
Memory

Yes, I left the capitalization above just as it is on the monument, even though that does make it a little difficult to read. Very interesting, and very historical.

The grave marker in this photo might not look like much, but do not judge it by first appearances. This marker is the oldest legible grave marker at the Mount Hebron Cemetery. On the back of the marker, a newer marker has been placed to assist in reading it:

It reads:

HIER LIGT
IN GOTTES
HAND DER
LIEB GEORG
HELM GB 1723
GBS 1769 ALT 46

Which I believe translates as:

HERE LIES
IN GOD’S
HAND THE
LOVE GEORGE
HELM BORN 1723
DIED 1769 AGE 46

We found that to be quite fascinating because of its age. That was 28 years before our home state of Tennessee became a state. So we obviously do not have anything that old around here.

There was more to see at Mount Hebron than we could see in one day. It would be great to have even more time there to explore even more, because there is much more to be seen.

Monuments

One of the interesting things about cemeteries is seeing all of the grave markers that are there. Some are old, some are newer. Some are large, some are small. Some people lived long lives, some people did not. But all of those grave markers indicate that the person associated with the marker meant something to someone. Large or small, the marker is a monument to that person, because of that person’s significance.

Be the kind of person that is significant to someone. Or to several someones. Not so that they will build a monument in your honor, but just because of the opportunities that you have to do good for others. The more that you serve others, the bigger the monument of your life will be. There may not be a large physical monument to your memory, but you will have made a difference in other people’s lives, which is even better than some large stone construction.

Be a servant whenever you can.

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” - Luke 6:32-36

About the Photos

Bright and cheerful cemetery photos almost seem to be contradiction. However, the day we visited was bright and sunny (and hot), so these photos reflect that. I could have made them all black and white, which might be appropriate to the season in which I am posting this (October, if you are finding this way out in the future). But I left them happy-looking as they are. But I do have plenty of other photos that are not included in this post, so perhaps I will share more later on with a different look.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens
Date: July 26, 2023
Location: Mount Hebron Cemetery, Winchester, Virginia