125 Years Since His Birth, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Legacy ‘Beats On’ in Rockville

Sept. 24, 2021 marks the quasquicentennial, or 125th anniversary, of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birth. Indeed, the “Great Gatsby” author has been buried in Rockville for more than 80 years.

For the rest of eternity, F. Scott Fitzgerald rests at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery, sharing the same plot of land with his wife Zelda, where they are surrounded by five generations of Fitzgerald family members. To this day, and especially around Fitzgerald’s birthday, passersby visit the author’s burial site and leave gifts in homage to the “Jazz Age,” like bottles of champagne, cigars, candles, money, and much more.

Many who study the “Gatsby” author question why he is buried in Rockville when he never actually lived in Montgomery County. Jackson Bryer, professor emeritus of English at the University of Maryland and president of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Society, and Eileen McGuckian, a historian and preservationist who wrote “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Rockville: A Guide to Rockville MD in the 1920s,” speak to MyMCM about how Fitzgerald’s roots run deep in Montgomery County. They also share the story about how F. Scott and Zelda happened to be buried here, not once but twice.

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.

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