Public Vault

THE PUBLIC VAULT was built by Congress in response to the many public burial. For Congressmen there was no charge for the vault; others were charged a $5 fee. In sum, the remains of over 6,000 individuals were held until arrangements could be made for burials elsewhere, including those of Presidents John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison, and Zachary Taylor. Dolley Madison was placed in the Vault upon her death in 1849, because her son had bankrupted the family, she remained there for five years. The Public Vault was built in 1835 for $5,000 and repaired in 2005 at a cost of $35,000.