Human remains were unearthed during a D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation construction project in Georgetown, and some residents are raising concerns about how the discoveries are being handled.
The remains were discovered as crews dug at Volta Park, where ballfields are being renovated. Under the soil, graves dig back to the 1800s.
“This was a cemetery that was for rich, for poor, for white, for Black. It was the cemetery for Georgetown for the early 19th century,” neighborhood elected leader Topher Mathews said.
It was not a surprise when human remains surfaced during digging for the $700,000 renovation. But, Mathews confirmed, an undisturbed grave was discovered just a few feet down. The work stopped in the fall as crews and archaeologists figured out their next steps.
More recently, neighbors saw remains and bone fragments in the open, in piles of dirt.
“These are our Georgetown forbearers. These are people that walked these streets, lived in these homes 150, 200 years ago, and I think anytime you see people treated that way, even if it wasn’t intentional, it’s just alarming,” Mathews said.
City officials covered the piles of dirt with tarps. The remains will be respectfully buried elsewhere in the park, Mathews said. The project will be changed to work around the undisturbed grave.
Mathews gave an update on the project at an Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting Monday night. Some residents said they’re frustrated about how the remains were handled and what they called a lack of communication about the project.
“My hope is that they’ve learned their lesson and they will move forward with continuing to respect what they find here, and then ultimately getting the project done as soon as possible,” Mathews said.
There was no word on when the work would restart, but it’s expected to be complete this spring.
D.C.’s Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of General Services sent News4 a joint statement that said in part that they are working with archaeologists to respectfully reinter human remains.
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