Staunton National Cemetery
Also known as: VDHR File No. 132-19
Why it's listed
Staunton National Cemetery occupies about 1.15 acres on Richmond Avenue, roughly a mile and a half east of the Augusta County Courthouse. Established in 1866, it was first filled with soldiers' remains moved from the Staunton city cemetery and from Cross Keys, Port Republic, Waynesboro and other nearby places. Those burials link it to Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign and the 1864 Battle of Piedmont. Among the interred is Nicolae Dunca, a Romanian-born Union captain killed at Cross Keys. A limestone wall and wrought-iron gates enclose the grounds, which also hold a flagpole and an artillery-tube monument. The lodge, built around 1871 from a design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, is a Second Empire building with a mansard roof. It was listed for its Civil War associations and for the lodge's distinctive Meigs design. The cemetery closed in 1983.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is tied to the Civil War, including Jackson's Valley Campaign and the Battle of Piedmont, and holds soldiers moved from nearby battlefields. Its lodge reflects a prototypical design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, regarded as a master architect of Quartermaster Corps civil works.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000034, listed February 26, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 901 Richmond Ave., Staunton (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Staunton |
| Listed | February 26, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000034 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1868-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Meigs, Montgomery C. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The cemetery was officially closed to new interments in 1983; as of August 31, 1995, only reserved gravesites and a few cremation sites remained available. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 38.14050, -79.04964 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000034.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7604738
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.