James Monroe Tomb, Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Independent City, Virginia

Significance: James Monroe, fifth President of the United States, died in New York City on July 4, 1831, and was buried in the New York City Marble Cemetery. In 1856 plans were proposed to erect a monument in memory of the late President in New York. At this time, Governor Henry A. Wise received a letter from the Governor of New York inquiring if Virginia, birthplace of Monroe, wished to have the body reinterred in the state. Two thousand dollars was voted by the Virginia State Legislature, and the body of Monroe was returned on the steamship "Jamestown," on loan from the Virginia Steamship Company, accompanied by the Seventh Regiment from New York. Impressive ceremonies were held in Richmond, highlighted by speeches from the Governors of New York and Virginia calling for national unity. The records of Hollywood Cemetery were burned in 1865, and as a result there are no specific records of Monroes' burial place and the monument.
Survey number: HABS VA-843
Building/structure dates: 1859 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1859 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 71001044