Winchester National Cemetery

Winchester National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Winchester, Virginia. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Winchester National Cemetery

Winchester National Cemetery was established on land appropriated for burials during the Civil War. Although the land was used for burial purposes as early as 1862, the cemetery was not officially dedicated until April 8, 1866, and the land was not legally transferred to the U.S. government until December 1, 1870, when Jacob Baker was paid $1,500 for the 4.89-acre tract and the deed was signed and executed.

Winchester National Cemetery was the final resting place for Union soldiers who fought and died at the battles of Winchester, New Market, Front Royal, Snickers Gap, Harper's Ferry, Martinsburg, and Romney.

Physically, it was typical of first-generation national cemeteries built before 1870: the grounds were surrounded by a fence and thereafter a wall, a flagpole was centrally located, and a frame lodge followed by a masonry lodge served as an office and dwelling for the superintendent.

The Winchester cemetery benefited from federal programs initiated during the Great Depression. In 1930, the original tool house/comfort station was removed and a new, brick and stucco tool house/storage/comfort station building was erected by Civil Works Administration labor. During 1934 and 1936, headstones were reset and realigned, sunken graves were filled in, existing trees trimmed, new trees and roses planted, and the wall was repointed and repaired. In 1936, a brick and stucco gasoline storage building was constructed and a one-story addition and basement was added to the superintendent's lodge by Workers Project Administration laborers. On August 28, 1939, the original flagstaff was replaced with a new tubular steel one.

Winchester National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Monuments and Memorials Winchester National Cemetery contains 15 monuments, most commemorating units that fought in the battles of the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War:

-The marble 38th Massachusetts Volunteers Monument was erected in 1864.

-The 14th New Hampshire Regiment Monument was erected by that state in 1868.

-The granite 8th Vermont Volunteers Monument was erected in 1885 by Herbert E. Hill.

-The granite 3rd Massachusetts Cavalry Monument was dedicated in 1888.

-The Pennsylvania Monument is a large granite structure surmounted by a bronze figure. The monument was erected in 1890 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

-A granite monument honoring the 12th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers was erected by that state on October 19, 1890.

-The 123rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry Monument is made of granite and faced with cut rifles, installed in 1899 by the State of Ohio.

-The Massachusetts Monument features a bronze soldier atop a granite base. The monument was erected by the State of Massachusetts in 1907.

-The 114th New York Volunteer Infantry Monument is made of cut granite. It was erected by the State of New York.

-The 34th Massachusetts Infantry Monument is a marble bust of Col. George D. Wells that sits atop a granite base.

-The granite 18th Connecticut Volunteers Monument was erected by the State of Connecticut.

-A granite monument in memory of the 13th Connecticut Volunteer Regiment was erected by the State of Connecticut.

-The granite 8th Regiment Vermont Infantry Monument was erected in memory of soldiers from that regiment who died in the Civil War.

-A granite monument in honor of the 6th Army Corps was erected shortly after the Civil War.

-A memorial in remembrance of the Third Battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864, is located near the entrance to the cemetery.

Directions

From Washington National or Washington Dulles International Airports, travel Virginia State Highway 7 West. State Highway 7 passes the entrance gate to the cemetery. Visitors traveling on Interstate 81 will take Exit 316, putting them on Highway 7 West. Cemetery is approximately 80 miles west of Washington, D.C.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Winchester National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Winchester National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Winchester National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Winchester National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Winchester National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Winchester National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Winchester National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Winchester National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Winchester National Cemetery directly at 540-825-0027.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Virginia law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Virginia and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Winchester National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Ball's Bluff National Cemetery, Leesburg, VA: 33 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery, Flintstone, MD: 45 mi, open for burials
• Culpeper National Cemetery, Culpeper, VA: 50 mi, open for burials