Source: National Cemetery Administration · cem.va.gov · scraped May 2026
History of Washington Crossing National Cemetery
In 1681, King Charles II of England granted a sizable piece of his land holdings in America to William Penn to satisfy a debt owed to the Penn family. The next year, Penn established the three original counties in the Pennsylvania Colony, including Bucks County. Immigrants, primarily from the British Isles and Germany, arrived and settled on small farms, producing potash, wheat, salted pork and other products.
During the Revolutionary War, in the summer and fall of 1776, General George Washington's Continental Army suffered a series of losses in New York and New Jersey. By December, the British offensive forced General Washington and his troops to withdraw into Pennsylvania and decamp in Bucks County. The general was in desperate need of a military victory to resuscitate the morale of his army and the American public.
General Washington suspected that the British were complacent after their successes, and sought an offensive maneuver that might catch them off guard. On the night of December 25–26, 1776, Washington led his troops across the Delaware River in the first movement of a surprise attack against Hessian forces in British service. The Continental Army won the subsequent Battle of Trenton and provided the Americans with a much-needed victory.
The Delaware River crossing was more than a strategic triumph. It grew to symbolize both Washington's heroism and the resiliency of the burgeoning republic at one of the darkest hours of the revolution. German artist Emmanuel Leutze depicted this momentous event in his 1849 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, to inspire supporters of democracy and greater political representation in Germany in the aftermath of the unsuccessful Revolutions of 1848. The idealized and historically inaccurate scene has become an iconic depiction of the crossing; copies hang in the White House and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Today, both sides of the Delaware River are preserved as part of the Washington Crossing National Historic Landmark district, composed of Washington Crossing Historic Park on the Pennsylvania side, and Washington Crossing State Park in New Jersey.
The character of Bucks County continued to be primarily agricultural throughout the 19th century and into the next, with pockets of industrial activity near the Delaware River. Suburbanization accelerated after World War II as the economy expanded, automobile ownership increased, and the extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike stimulated local housing construction. Levittown, an early subdivision developed by the pioneering suburban developer Levitt & Sons, is located in the southern part of Bucks County. In 1951, U.S. Steel opened a mill in Bucks County, which sparked even more growth.
Today, Bucks County is suburban in areas nearest to the Delaware River. The northern region is more pastoral, and is popular with tourists in search of natural scenery, historic covered bridges, and the location of General Washington's crossing.
Washington Crossing National Cemetery is located approximately three miles southwest from the location where General Washington crossed the Delaware River. The cemetery is located on land that William Penn deeded to Euro-American settlers in 1698, and was used as farmland for centuries. In 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs purchased the property from Dolington Land, L.P., a subsidiary of the homebuilding company Toll Brothers. The cemetery was formally dedicated in 2009 and opened for burials the following year. Washington Crossing National Cemetery is the fourth national cemetery established in Pennsylvania and the 131st in the national cemetery system.
Notable interments
Veterans, public figures, and citizens of note buried at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, listed by section and site as recorded by the National Cemetery Administration.
Georgian Mildred J.
Dalton (1914–2013) graduated from Grady Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and was head surgical nurse there before joining the U.S. Army. She served in the Army Nurse Corps from 1939 to 1946 at Fort Benning, then in the Philippine Islands. Already in the Pacific when the United States entered World War II, Dalton tended the wounded on the Bataan Peninsula. In May 1942 she was among 66 army nurses captured at Corregidor and sent to Santo Tomas prison camp. Despite being malnourished captives themselves, the nurses treated thousands of prisoners until Allied troops liberated them. Dalton was awarded the Bronze Star and promoted to first lieutenant. She participated in a war bond campaign to end her tour, where she met her husband, Arthur Manning. By the time of her death, Manning was known as the last "Angel of Corregidor." She is buried in Section 6, Site 1270.
Eligibility for burial at Washington Crossing National Cemetery
Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.
Request eligibility status for:
Veteran or servicemember Spouse Dependent family member Apply online »
Burial in a VA national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
Directions
From Philadelphia International Airport: Take Interstate 95 North for approximately 36 miles to exit 49. Turn left onto Yardley Newtown Road/PA Highway 332 West (Newtown Bypass) for 0.8 miles, then turn right at Lindenhurst Road. Travel 2.3 miles, then turn left at PA Highway 532/Washington Crossing Road, then turn right at Highland Road.
From Interstate 95 South, take exit 49. Turn right onto Yardley Newtown Road/PA Hwy 332 West (Newtown Bypass) for 0.6 miles, then turn right at Lindenhurst Road and travel 2.3 miles. Turn left at PA Hwy 532/Washington Crossing Road, then turn right at Highland Road.
Floral and grounds policy
You can place fresh cut flowers on your loved one's grave throughout the year.
Floral items will be removed from graves when they become faded or unsightly. They may also be removed to allow mowing. Government supplied plastic flower containers are available for your use and located within the cemetery.
Weapons policy
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
Education and visiting programs
We are developing educational content for this national cemetery, and will post new materials as they become available. Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
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Nearest cemeteries
The three closest veteran cemeteries to Washington Crossing National Cemetery (by straight-line distance):
- Beverly National Cemetery — Beverly, NJ (15 mi · closed)
- Philadelphia National Cemetery — Philadelphia, PA (19 mi · closed)
- Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery — Wrightstown, NJ (22 mi · open)
Nearby veteran-friendly funeral homes
The following funeral homes within a 50-mile radius of Washington Crossing National Cemetery have demonstrated a commitment to serving veterans through specialized services, VA benefits coordination, or dedicated honors details.
FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home is a premier funeral home located at 17 South Delaware Avenue in Yardley, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including serene chapel, spacious visitation rooms, and on-site crematory. Professional offerings include funeral service, burial services, and cremation services, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $3,325. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $5,475, while direct cremation is available from $3,325. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic, Christian (various denominations), Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Islam, and Orthodox Judaism. The firm's dedication to service is reflected in their 4.0-star Google rating across 8 reviews.
Joseph A. Fluehr lll Funeral Home Inc. is a premier funeral home located at 241 East Butler Ave. in New Britain, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including on-site crematory. Professional offerings include immediate cremation, cremation followed by a memorial service, and funeral service with cremation following, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $2,155. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $6,355, while direct cremation is available from $2,155. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic.
J Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel is a premier funeral home located at 41 West Trenton Avenue in Morrisville, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including modern facilities and well-equipped facilities. Professional offerings include cremation services, traditional service followed by cremation, and memorial service, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $2,944. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $5,735, while direct cremation is available from $2,944. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopal.
Campbell Richboro Lawndale Funeral Home is a premier funeral home located at 905 Second St. Pike in Richboro, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including historic fieldstone farmhouse (circa 1740), funeral home addition (completed august 1982), and space for services at the funeral home or a place of worship. Professional offerings include funeral services, cremation services, and veteran services, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $7,695. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $3,140, while direct cremation is available from $2,450. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed.
James J. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc. is a premier funeral home located at 2200 Trenton Road in Levittown, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including chapel, reception hall, and arrangement rooms. Professional offerings include traditional funerals, cremation memorials, and celebrations of life, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $3,735. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $7,100, while direct cremation is available from $3,735. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic and Protestant (Presbyterian, United Christian, Baptist, Methodist).
James O Bradley Funeral Home, Inc. is a premier funeral home located at 260 Bellevue Avenue in Penndel, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including funeral home facility. Professional offerings include funeral planning, pre-planning, and pre-paid funeral contracts, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $1,020. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $5,575, while direct cremation is available from $1,020. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic and Lutheran.
Lamb Funeral Home, Inc. is a premier funeral home located at 101 Byberry Road in Huntingdon Valley, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including large-capacity chapel, modern funeral home, and piano or organ on-site. Professional offerings include funeral service, cremation, and burial, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Asian traditions, Buddhist, Catholic, Hispanic traditions, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant Christian, and Black Funeral Traditions.
Molden Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services is a premier funeral home located at 133 Otter Street in Bristol, PA. The property features well-appointed spaces including on-site crematory, chapel, and second chapel. Professional offerings include burial services, cremation services, and natural organic reduction, handled with the utmost care by their licensed directors. General services start at $2,895. For families preferring a traditional approach, basic burial services begin at $4,995, while direct cremation is available from $2,895. The staff is experienced in coordinating with various faith traditions, specifically Catholic and Episcopal.