08/15/2026
Some good news from Mount Zion Cemetery: two names have come back into view.
While examining the area near the historic burial vault, Black Georgetown Foundation Patrick (board member) rediscovered the long-buried headstone of John Carr. The nearly six-foot Virginia bluestone marker weighs approximately 600 pounds and was not recorded in the 1975 cemetery surveys.
Its inscription tells us that Carr was a Philadelphia native, a mason by profession, and died October 31, 1815, “in the hope of a better hereafter.” It was erected by his friend and “well wisher,” Robert Leckie—another mason who helped build important infrastructure in early Washington.
Research by Dr. Mark Auslander suggests that Carr may be the Philadelphia resident found in the 1790, 1800 and 1810 censuses. He may have come to Washington when masons were urgently needed to rebuild the city after the British burning of 1814. His full story is still unfolding. John Carr also reminds us this was an in*******al cemetery.
Patrick also rediscovered the headstone of Guy B. Bennett lying face-down near the Doughty family monument. Born around 1854 in Warren County, Georgia, Bennett may have been born into slavery. He later worked in Augusta as a porter and driver before moving to the Washington area. Beginning in 1903, he worked as a civilian teamster for the War Department at Fort Myer, and in 1907 he lived at 2704 P Street in Georgetown.
Although Bennett’s shield-shaped marker resembles a military headstone, Mark found no evidence that he served in the military. Bennett was also a member of the J. McC Crummill Lodge No. 1437 of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, an important African American mutual-aid organization.
The stone gives his death as January 7, 1928, but newspaper notices and a memorial placed by his widow confirm that he died January 7, 1929.
Each headstone can reopen a life,its labor, family, friendships, faith and journey. Thank you to Patrick for bringing these markers back into view and to Mark for helping return John Carr and Guy Bennett to the historical record.
Read more at Dr. Mark Auslander’s website www.markauslander.com
