National Cemetery Administration
VA Acquires Land to Expand Camp Butler National Cemetery
June 5, 2019
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) National Cemetery Administration announced today that it has acquired 9.58 acres of land for future expansion of Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.
"Camp Butler serves a large Veteran population in central Illinois, and after more than 150 years of continual use it's beginning to approach full capacity" said VA's Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. "Fortunately, with this acquisition our Veterans and their families will be ensured continued access to the burial benefits they have earned and deserve for decades to come."
The Department of Veterans Affairs acquired the property for $203,670. The new land is located just to the west of Camp Butler National Cemetery along Camp Butler Road in Riverton, IL. Camp Butler National Cemetery was established in 1862 and is one of the first national cemeteries created following legislation authorizing the purchase of land for military cemeteries that was passed earlier that same year. Before this expansion, the cemetery consisted of 52.98 acres of land, all of which had already been developed. More than 28,000 Veterans and eligible family members are interred there. Current estimates project that the additional land will allow for approximately 10,000 future interments, thereby extending the burial capacity of Camp Butler National Cemetery by approximately 30 years.
VA operates 136 national cemeteries and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 40 states and Puerto Rico. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. Information on VA burial benefits is available from local VA national cemetery offices, online at https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/ or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000. To make burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.
For more information about the Camp Butler National Cemetery, contact the cemetery director, Antonio Henderson, at (217) 492-4070 or visit https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/campbutler.asp.
