Millions of words have been written about Arlington National Cemetery through the years, but none can ever do justice to the singular atmosphere of the place itself. From its founding in 1866, just a year after the cataclysmic Civil War ended, through other, global conflicts, stunning scandals and massive cultural and political change, the 600 acres situated across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial have constituted sacred ground for generations of Americans.
Here, on the cemetery’s 150th anniversary, LIFE.com offers a series of photographs made at Arlington by George Silk. Never published in LIFE magazine, Silk’s pictures are appropriately quiet, reflective portraits of a small corner of the country that occupies a special, prominent place in the national consciousness.
A bugler plays "Taps" at Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesHorses pull a caisson through Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesView of Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesTomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesArlington National Cemetery with Washington, DC, in the distance, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesGroundskeepers, Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesArlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesDigging a grave, Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesThe original, temporary John F. Kennedy "Eternal Flame," The original, temporary John F. Kennedy "Eternal Flame," 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesHorses pull a caisson through Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesFuneral, Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesFuneral, Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesView of Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesTending a grave, Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesArlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesArlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesArlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesArlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesA man rests in the shade at Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesA resident squirrel perches on a headstone at Arlington National Cemetery, 1965.George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images