The Washington Monument, completed in 1884, is an obelisk. Obelisks were the most common ancient Egyptian moment used for memorials and tombstones in the 19th century. In ancient Egypt, two obelisks were placed at the entrance to temples.
Image by Detroit Publishing Co, c. 1900. Courtesy of Library of Congress
For more about cemeteries see Discovering Quacks, Utopias, and Cemeteries: Modern Lessons from Historical Themes