Abbey Mausoleum (Arlington County, Virginia)
Coordinates: 38°52′13″N 77°04′27″W / 38.8702°N 77.0741°W
Abbey Mausoleum was a mausoleum in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States founded in 1924. One of the most luxurious burial places in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, many famous individuals, judges, and military leaders were buried there. The mausoleum encountered financial difficulties and declared bankruptcy in 1966. It suffered vandalism numerous times, and several graves were desecrated. Remains buried there were disinterred and reburied elsewhere, and it was demolished in February 2001. Several architectural features of the structure were salvaged.
Abbey Mausoleum was built in 1924 by the U.S. Mausoleum Company. The land was owned by the Syphax family. Maria Custis Syphax, the matriarch of the family, was the mulatto daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha Washington and founder of the Arlington Estate on the banks of the Potomac River (later the home of Robert E. Lee). The Spyhax family sold the land to John Dormoyle in 1901, who then sold it to Frederick Rice in 1924. Rice subdivided the property into two lots, and sold one lot to the U.S. Mausoleum Corporation the same year. The 18,000 square feet (1,700 m2) lot was rectangular in shape and located next to the Hobson Gate.
The 50,193 square feet (4,663.1 m2) structure was Neoclassical in style (although it has also been described as Romanesque Revival). The single-story structure was made of granite, with the interior and exterior clad in white Italian marble. The foundation was made of reinforced concrete, and the roof consisted of reinforced concrete ceiling, roof beams, and roof. The roof was externally clad in asphalt roofing materials. The entire structure was 19.5 feet (5.9 m) from grade to rooftop. The floor was a 6 inches (15 cm) marble base. Stained-glass windows by Tiffany & Co. provided light. There were 654 crypts, stacked six high below 16.3-foot (5.0 m) high ceilings. Crypts included 60 niches for cremated remains. Interior light was provided by skylights.
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