owned by Joseph Gawler (b. 1827 d. 1910)
who immigrated to America from Bristol,
England in 1832. The home was located one
block from the White House on a then dirt
Avenue.
Joseph operated his business as a cabinet
maker-coffin maker, and finally Undertaker
on the first floor of the home, and with his
wife, raised 12 children in the living quarters
on the second floor. His business, established
in 1850, went on to support four generations
of his family.
Many customs and traditions started by
Joseph Gawler are benchmarks of the funeral
industry today. While no longer located at
Pennsylvania Avenue, or owned by the
Gawler family, Joseph Gawler's Sons, Inc. is
still in business nearly 155 years since its
founding. The firm, and the Gawler family,
have become a well known and respected part
of the daily life of the Nation's Capitol.
The Gawler firm handles funeral
arrangements for members of the Northwest
D.C. Metro community (encompassing those
areas of Maryland and Virginia just outside of
the District of Columbia) as well as
arrangements for Presidents, Supreme Court
Justices, Senators, Congressmen, Military
leaders, Foreign Dignitaries and many other
notable Americans.
Walter A. Gawler 1883-1959
Charles Gawler 1856-1923
William A. Gawler 1909-1984
