The Madison Family Cemetery is the understated resting place of James and Dolley Madison. When the last Founding Father died in 1836, Dolley, together with friends, family, and slaves, paid loving respect. Public tribute came two months later, when John Quincy Adams delivered a passionate oration celebrating the man who had formulated the Constitution and sponsored the Bill of Rights. After the death of her cherished James, Dolley moved to Washington, D.C., where she resumed her role as the city's leading hostess. When she died in 1849, nearly penniless, all of Washington turned out for her state funeral, a rare honor that acknowledged the legacies of both Madisons and their profound role in shaping the nation.
