The land where Ivy Hill Cemetery now sits was part of a 66 acre parcel owned by Hugh Charles Smith. Mr. Smith was the son of Alexandria merchant Hugh Smith and was active in the management of the Wilkes Street Pottery. When Mr. Smith died in 1854, he left finances to take care of his boys, but his land was not left to either.

Already being the burial site of family members, the land was divided, with one third to become Ivy Hill Cemetery. With the establishment of the cemetery, plans were in the works to erect “a neat gate and a keeper’s lodge”. Another stipulation for the creation of Ivy Hill was to have a receiving vault built as cold storage for pending burials. It was up to the families to bury their own, back in the 1800’s, and Mother Nature didn’t always coordinate her schedule with the loss of loved ones. So, until there were more suitable conditions for digging, people were temporarily placed in the vault.

Ivy Hill has been associated with Alexandria’s history since the cemetery’s beginning. Many families who helped shape our town’s destiny in the 19th century are buried here along with thousands more residents. Being the final resting place of Alexandria’s famous, infamous, and ordinary citizens, Ivy Hill tells a rich story. As you meander through its grounds you will recognize names reflected through-out our city: on buildings, on the streets, and the names of current businesses. Most of these people built, lived in, and were significant to, Alexandria.

Dana is a lifelong Alexandria resident who has long ties to Ivy Hill Cemetery. He retired from the Alexandria Police Department where he served for 27 years as a police officer. He was elected in 2005 to his current position as the Sheriff for the city of Alexandria. He resides with his wife Linda in the Delray section of the city where they raised their three daughters. Dana has served on the IHC Board since 2012.

Gant is Chair of the Goodwin House Foundation Board of Directors; Past President of Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Seminary Hill Association, Belle Haven Citizens Association, Mount Vernon on the Potomac Citizens Association. Living Legend of Alexandria; former national Trustee of Beta Theta Pi; General Counsel of National Victory Celebration, Desert Storm; practicing attorney, Senior Partner of Redmon, Peyton & Braswell law firm concentrating on estates, trusts, and real property.

Ann is a native Alexandrian. Family on both her mother’s and father’s sides are buried at Ivy Hill. Ann has served as the Director of Accounting and Finance with GeoLogics Corporation for 24 years. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Virginia and holds a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. She serves on the Finance Committee of the Vestry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and, along with her husband, leads the Parents Council at Randolph College. Previously, Ann served as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair of the Board of Trustees at Alexandria Country Day School.

A life-long Alexandrian, David ‘s family history in Alexandria traces back to the mid 1800’s. He retired in 2017 as Managing Director-Investments for the Speck-Caudron Investment Group, where he was nationally recognized for his work in investment strategy and wealth management for over 35 years. Prior to that he was a member of the faculty and administration at The George Washington University for 13 years, and from where he received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. In addition to the board of Ivy Hill Cemetery, he also serves on the boards of the Northern Virginia Health Foundation and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, where he also co-chairs the Finance Committee.

Lucy is a native Alexandrian with many generations of family at Ivy Hill Cemetery. She has served as the President of the Ivy Hill Cemetery Historical Preservation Society since 2007, has served on the board of Ivy Hill Cemetery since 2012. Lucy brings passion and creativity to Ivy Hill to meet our current day challenges and to ensure its survival far into the future.

Biography coming soon!