Category Archives: Aspin Hill Memorial Park

Faithful Unto Death: new book on pet cemeteries

Faithful Unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotion
Faithful Unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotion

In May 2023, I had the pleasure to meet Paul Koudounaris, an author and photographer with a Ph.D. in Art History. He’s the author of the recent book, Faithful Unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotion. For years, he’s researched cemeteries and death traditions. He is also a cat lover, having published a book, A Cat’s Tale: A Journey Through Feline History, in which his cat, Baba, gives a history of the world from a feline perspective.

In his latest book, he turns his attention to pets, pet owners, and the kind of devotion that motivates the existence of pet cemeteries. Koudounaris visited the Aspin Hill Memorial Park, and commentary and photos from the cemetery are included in this beautifully written and illustrated book. There’s a review of his book on the BBC website, which gets to the heart of his work better than I could. Here’s a link to the article.

Shep the dog to a WW2 pigeon: Eight strange and poignant images of pet cemeteries BBC.com, September 22, 2024.

Author and photographer Paul Koudounaris visiting Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery in May 2023.
Author and photographer Paul Koudounaris visiting Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery in May 2023.

You Never Forget a Good Dog

Blackie, 1944-1956.
Blackie, 1944-1956.

Blackie was a cocker spaniel mix who belonged to Mel Kornspan’s family when he was a child living in Washington, D.C. Blackie lived a dozen good years as a member of the family before passing away in 1956. Mel’s mother, Rebecca, arranged for her to be buried at Aspin Hill. Mel never forgot Blackie and keeps a tiny photo of her in a red frame to remember her by. Continue reading You Never Forget a Good Dog

Staff and Fritzie: World War I Dog Heroes

The first known war dog buried at Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery was “Staff,” who fought with an unnamed American unit in World War I. He was wounded by German artillery, but French surgeons stitched him back together again. Two bullets remained embedded in his leg. His mate, “Fritzie,” also fought in the war. Staff died in 1925; Fritzie died six years later in 1931.1

“Costly Stones Mark Graves Of Pets In Novel Animal Cemetery," Washington Times, August 14, 1933,
“Costly Stones Mark Graves Of Pets In Novel Animal Cemetery,” Washington Times, August 14, 1933,

Continue reading Staff and Fritzie: World War I Dog Heroes

Aspin Hill History in The Montgomery County Story

"Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery: 100 Years of Pets, People, and the Stories Behind the Stones," by Julianne Mangin. The Montgomery County Story, Fall 2020, vol. 63 no. 2. pp. 1-21.
“Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery: 100 Years of Pets, People, and the Stories Behind the Stones,” by Julianne Mangin.

“Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery: 100 Years of Pets, People, and the Stories Behind the Stones,” by Julianne Mangin. The Montgomery County Story, Fall 2020, vol. 63 no. 2. pp. 1-21.
Published by Montgomery History (formerly known as the Montgomery County Historical Society).

This is the most comprehensive history of the Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery to date. Print copies can be obtained from Montgomery History.  This issue will be available in PDF once the next issue is published.

History of Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery Video

Aspin Hill Memorial Park. J. Mangin, September 2020
Aspin Hill Memorial Park. J. Mangin, September 2020

Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery: 100 Years of Pets, People, and the Stories Behind the Stones is a virtual talk that was given for the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD on September 26, 2020.

Two options for viewing:

Via Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=384987492907169

Via Crowdcast:
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/aspin-hill-pet-cemetery

Him and Her; LBJ’s Beagles

President Lyndon B. Johnson walks his two beagles as a large group of press members follow. Photo by Cecil Stoughton August 18, 1964. LBJ Library Photo Archive: Image 336-2-WH64
President Lyndon B. Johnson walks his two beagles as a large group of press members follow. Photo by Cecil Stoughton August 18, 1964. LBJ Library Photo Archive: Image 336-2-WH64

President Lyndon Baines Johnson had three of his dogs cremated at Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery during his years at the White House. These included his most famous dogs, beagles named “Him” and “Her.” They were litter mates who were born in on June 27, 1963.

Him and Her became famous after an incident during a press conference on April 27, 1964.  President Johnson lifted “Him” by the ears, causing him to yelp.  An Associated Press photographer was present and the photo was published the next day in the Washington Post. 1  People across the country were outraged at what they felt was President Johnson’s abuse of his dog. The furor died down eventually, as it became obvious that the president was a devoted dog lover (although he continued to believe it was okay to lift a beagle up by its ears). 2

Sadly, Him and Her both died young. “Her” died in on November 27, 1964 when she swallowed a stone. Surgeons tried to remove it, but she died on the operating table. “Him” died on June 15, 1966 after being run over by a car on the White House grounds. After their cremations at Aspin Hill, the remains of both dogs were sent to the LBJ Ranch in Texas for burial. 3

Preservation Award

Invitation to Montgomery Preservation Awards for 2019, to be held March 14, 2020.
Invitation to Montgomery Preservation Awards for 2019, to be held March 14, 2020.

I was recently notified that I have been selected to receive an Excellence in Preservation award for the documentation of and advocacy for preservation of the Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery. The award will be presented at the 2019 Annual Montgomery County Awards for Preservation at a ceremony and reception on Saturday afternoon, March 14, 2020, at historic Grace United Methodist Church, 119 North Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg.

https://www.montgomerypreservation.org/2019-historic-preservation-awards/

If you would like to attend, please RSVP via email to awards@montgomerypreservation.org  The event and reception are free, but donations are welcomed.