National Harmony Memorial Park

GPS Coordinates: 38.910237, -76.883929
PLSS Coordinates: 38.91023710876338, -76.88392964448035
County: Prince George's
Record count: 444

Ownership: Service Corporation International

Directions: Located southeast of Hyattsville, the cemetery rests inside Pepper Mill Village, along the south side of Sheriff Rd, near the intersection with Bell Haven Dr.

Background: National Harmony Memorial Park traces its roots to the 1825 Harmoneon Society, founded by free African Americans to provide dignified burials during segregation. In 1960, about 37,000 graves from D.C.’s historic Columbian Harmony Cemetery were relocated here, followed by 2,000 from Payne’s Cemetery in 1966–67. The move, one of the largest in U.S. history, preserved remains but not most headstones—many were discarded and later found along the Potomac River. In 2021, 55 recovered stones were ceremonially returned, with plans for a memorial garden. Today, the 100-acre park serves as a resting place for thousands, honoring a rich African American heritage while acknowledging the losses from mid-20th-century urban development.

Burial Records

• Veterans Affairs Database, by Interment.net, April 17, 2025, (444 records)

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