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In 1832 the remains of about 40 Congressmen rested in Congressional Cemetery. In that year Congress authorized $2,600 for the purpose of building a public vault to temporarily house the remains of Congressmen which could also be used by the public at a rate of $5.00 per month. Last used in 1934, the remains of over 3,000 people were placed in the vault until arrangements could be made for a permanent burial site or in periods of adverse weather conditions that prevented burial. The most prominent of those placed in the vault were U.S. Presidents William H. Harrison (1841), John Quincy Adams (1848), and Zachary Taylor (1850). Also first ladies Dolley Madison (1849) and Louisa Adams (1852).
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