{"nrhp_refnum":"01000694","name":"Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery","other_names":["122-1036"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"3000 Church St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Norfolk (Independent City)","county":"Norfolk","state":"VA","lat":36.874048148500066,"lon":-76.28005662973631,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-07-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Landscape Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A roughly 30-acre Catholic burial ground at 3000 Church Street in Norfolk, Virginia, beside the Lafayette River. Father Matthew O'Keefe of Saint Mary's Catholic Church bought the land in 1854.","why_significant":"The cemetery was established in 1854 after a yellow fever epidemic and is one of the oldest monument cemeteries in the area. It is one of only eight Catholic cemeteries in Virginia. It was evaluated under Criterion C for its design and funerary landscape, which includes mausoleums, statuary and monuments and retains good integrity.","narrative":"Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery is a 30-acre burial ground in Norfolk, Virginia, set along the Lafayette River beside the Virginia Zoological Park. Father Matthew O'Keefe, founder of Saint Mary's Catholic Church, bought the land in 1854, and the cemetery was established that year in response to a yellow fever epidemic. It is one of the oldest monument cemeteries in the area and one of only eight Catholic cemeteries in Virginia. The grounds hold six family mausoleums, built between about 1898 and 1936 or possibly the late 1800s and early 1900s, along with a 1980 crypt mausoleum. A bronze World War I memorial crucifix by sculptor George A. Lober stands at the centre. Marble angels, statues, columns and unusual monuments add to the landscape, as do mature oak, cedar and magnolia trees. The cemetery was recognised for its landscape architecture and design, with a period of significance from 1854 to 1936. A lay board, a superintendent and volunteers continue to maintain it.","period_of_significance":"1854-1936","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Mid 19th Century","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still an active cemetery, maintained by a lay board, a superintendent and a volunteer friends group; described as well preserved.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.255029-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/5/6822/41682205/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/01000694.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000694/78016c68fc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000694/78016c68fc-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"Jesse757 from Norfolk, USA","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Marys_Catholic_Cemetery_(Norfolk,_VA)_4.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jesse757 from Norfolk, USA</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Marys_Catholic_Cemetery_(Norfolk,_VA)_4.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"06000029","name":"Park Place Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/park-place-historic-district-06000029/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682205","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Mary%27s_Catholic_Cemetery","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16899608"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/norfolk/saint-marys-catholic-cemetery-01000694/"}