Home › Historic headstones
The VA still makes the 1873 designs
Three historic upright styles remain available, cut to the original patterns. They are requested differently from a modern marker, and the inscription rules are deliberately restrictive.
The VA supplies three historic upright designs: Union Civil War, Spanish-American War, and Confederate. They are requested in block 33 of VA Form 40-1330 with supporting documentation, and a flat version exists where the cemetery does not permit upright stones.
The three designs
| Union, Civil War | Upright marble, pointed top, inscription in raised lettering inside a sunken shield. The pattern adopted for national cemeteries in the 1870s. |
|---|---|
| Spanish-American War | A separate upright style for those who served in that conflict. |
| Confederate | Upright, pointed top, bearing the Southern Cross of Honor. Distinct from the Union design. |
Why the inscriptions are so short
This surprises families who expect a modern inscription and get four lines.
Inscriptions on these headstone types are intentionally limited to assure historic accuracy. Only rank above Private was historically authorised, so a private's stone carries no rank. Emblems of belief are not permitted. Nor, on a Civil War stone, are the words Civil War — the phrase was not used on the originals.
The restriction is the point. A historic marker that carried a modern inscription would be a reproduction rather than a continuation, and it would misrepresent the period to every researcher who read it afterwards.
How to request one
- Complete VA Form 40-1330 as normal.
- Make the request for the special style in block 33.
- Submit detailed documentation supporting eligibility. For this era that means Compiled Military Service Records, muster rolls, state file extracts, pension documents or land warrants — a DD-214 will not exist.
- Get the cemetery's written consent, as with any claim.
And remember the applicant rule that makes these projects possible at all: for service ending before 6 April 1917, any individual may apply. You do not need to be a descendant.
When the cemetery says no uprights
Plenty of cemeteries permit flat markers only so the grounds can be mown. A flat marker version of the historic design exists for exactly this case.
It is not identical to the upright — a flat stone cannot carry a sunken shield the same way — but it keeps the period inscription conventions and it is accepted where an upright would be refused.
If a historic stone is already there but wrong
Where a historic marker carries inaccurate information that can be verified against documents, the VA will correct it and replace the marker in kind — the same type, style and inscription conventions used at the time of burial. Historic markers and those over 50 years old may be eligible for replacement.
Before requesting a replacement for illegibility, try cleaning it. A great many "unreadable" Civil War stones are carrying a century of lichen and will read again after an afternoon's work with the right materials.
Cleaning a historic stone is where damage happens
Marble from the 1870s is soft, and the VA prohibits power washing for exactly this reason. Bleach etches the surface permanently.
The official cleaning methodDesign and inscription rules follow National Cemetery Administration guidance on historic headstones and markers. Availability and documentation requirements can change — confirm with the VA at 800-697-6947 before ordering.