Congressional Cemetery - Public vault Mrs Madison, VP Calhoun and others buried by MM White
Posted by Cunningb2 | Posted in Congressional Cemetery , Dolley Madison - First Lady , John C. Calhoun - Vice President , Undertaker | Posted on September 06, 2020
The vault was used many times by M.M. White.
Temporary interments have included three U.S. presidents: John Quincy Adams (F
ebruary 26 – March
6, 1848), William Henry Harrison (April 7 – June 26, 1841), and Zachary Taylor (July 13 – October 26,
1850). President Harrison stayed in the vault almost three months, more than twice as long as the time he spent as president.
The Causten family vault, built 1835 Dolley Madison was interred in the Public Vault from July 16, 1849, to February 10, 1852, the longest known interment in the vault, while funds were being raised for her re-interment at Montpelier.Her body was transferred to the Causten family vault, directly to the west of the Public Vault, for another six years before the funds were raised. She was briefly joined in May 1852 in the Causten vault by First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams, though it has been reported that Adams was interred in the Public Vault.
Senator John C. Calhoun was interred in the Public Vault following a formal funeral and grand procession from the Capitol on April 2, 1850. He was encased in an early version of th
e Fisk metallic coffin which slowed down decomposition. On April 22 his remains departed the vault for a trip by steam ship to Charleston, South Carolina.
While the development of transportation and mortuary technology increased the use of the vault, it also limited its use as well. For example, following Henry Clay's death in 1852, his remains were also encased in a Fisk metallic coffin and transported to his home state by railroad without an interval at the Public Vault.
