Oak Hill Cemetery, located just north of downtown, is Birmingham, Alabama's oldest cemetery. Originally 21.5 acres (87,000 m2) on the estate of James M. Ware, it was already a burial ground by April 1869 when it served as the resting place for the infant daughter of future mayor Robert H. Henley. It was marked as "City Cemetery" on the original plats for Birmingham laid out by the Elyton Land Company and was formally sold to the city on December 29, 1873 for the sum of $1,073.50.
Most of the 10,000 or so burials at Oak Hill were interred before 1930, including nine of the ten landholders who founded the city, many early mayors, a Revolutionary soldier, numerous American Civil War veterans, and the first male child born in the city. Although few records exist from the time, most believe the "Potter's Field" section was also used as the final resting place for many victims of the 1873 cholera epidemic.
In 1889 Judge A. O. Lane purchased 200 acres (0.8 km2) on the southern slopes of Red Mountain (Birmingham, Alabama), now Lane Park, for the burial of paupers, thereby ending the use of Oak Hill's "Potter's Field". In 1928 the caretaker's cottage near the center of the property, was removed to the southwest corner of the cemetery and a new "Pioneer's Memorial Building" was constructed of Indiana limestone, designed by Miller & Martin Architects with William Kessler, landscape architect.[2]
In 1977, Oak Hill Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1] The Oak Hill Memorial Association keeps an office in the former caretaker's cottage and published a quarterly newsletter, the Oak Hill Pioneer, from Winter 1999 to Fall 2006, with articles about the history of the city in the context of the lives of those buried at Oak Hill.
Notable burialsedit
Rucker Agee (1897–1985), banker and map collector
Henry M. Caldwell, president of Elyton Land Company, owner of Peanut Depot building
^Hole, Donna C. (November 8, 1976). . National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2014. See also: . Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
Jeane, Gregory. "". – accessed April 1, 2006
External linksedit
Media related to Oak Hill Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama) at Wikimedia Commons
hill, cemetery, birmingham, alabama, other, cemeteries, with, this, name, hill, cemetery, disambiguation, hill, cemetery, located, just, north, downtown, birmingham, alabama, oldest, cemetery, originally, acres, estate, james, ware, already, burial, ground, ap. For other cemeteries with this name see Oak Hill Cemetery disambiguation Oak Hill Cemetery located just north of downtown is Birmingham Alabama s oldest cemetery Originally 21 5 acres 87 000 m2 on the estate of James M Ware it was already a burial ground by April 1869 when it served as the resting place for the infant daughter of future mayor Robert H Henley It was marked as City Cemetery on the original plats for Birmingham laid out by the Elyton Land Company and was formally sold to the city on December 29 1873 for the sum of 1 073 50 Oak Hill CemeteryU S National Register of Historic PlacesAlabama Register of Landmarks and HeritageView of downtown Birmingham from Oak Hill CemeteryShow map of Birmingham AlabamaShow map of AlabamaShow map of the United StatesLocation1120 N 19th St Birmingham AlabamaCoordinates33 31 32 N 86 49 0 W 33 52556 N 86 81667 W 33 52556 86 81667NRHP reference No 77000208 1 Significant datesAdded to NRHPJuly 13 1977Designated ARLHOctober 27 1975 Most of the 10 000 or so burials at Oak Hill were interred before 1930 including nine of the ten landholders who founded the city many early mayors a Revolutionary soldier numerous American Civil War veterans and the first male child born in the city Although few records exist from the time most believe the Potter s Field section was also used as the final resting place for many victims of the 1873 cholera epidemic In 1889 Judge A O Lane purchased 200 acres 0 8 km2 on the southern slopes of Red Mountain Birmingham Alabama now Lane Park for the burial of paupers thereby ending the use of Oak Hill s Potter s Field In 1928 the caretaker s cottage near the center of the property was removed to the southwest corner of the cemetery and a new Pioneer s Memorial Building was constructed of Indiana limestone designed by Miller amp Martin Architects with William Kessler landscape architect 2 In 1977 Oak Hill Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places 1 The Oak Hill Memorial Association keeps an office in the former caretaker s cottage and published a quarterly newsletter the Oak Hill Pioneer from Winter 1999 to Fall 2006 with articles about the history of the city in the context of the lives of those buried at Oak Hill Notable burials editRucker Agee 1897 1985 banker and map collector Henry M Caldwell president of Elyton Land Company owner of Peanut Depot building William E B Davis pioneer gynecologist Henry F DeBardeleben 1840 1910 industrialist and developed Bessemer Ellen Pratt DeBardeleben 1844 1894 daughter of Daniel Pratt Frank M Dixon Governor of Alabama Robert Henley First mayor of Birmingham Walter Henley coal baron banker philanthropist Mary T Jeffries 1863 1930 President Alabama Woman s Christian Temperance Union Mortimer Jordan health care pioneer Charles Linn industrialist and financier W J McDonald acting mayor of Robert Henley John T Milner 1826 1898 railroad engineer pioneer William S Mudd 1816 1884 builder of Arlington Antebellum Home amp Gardens Frank P O Brien manufacturer mayor industrialist developer and opera house owner Arthur H Parker 1870 1939 educator namesake of A H Parker High School Edmund Rucker Confederate Army Colonel Fred Shuttlesworth 1922 2011 civil rights leader James Sloss railroad magnate founder of Sloss Furnaces William Hugh Smith Governor of Alabama 1868 1870 John William Tayloe 1831 1904 Confederate Army Major Jeff Davis Legion of Hampton s Division Stuart s Cavalry Army of Northern Virginia Born Buena Vista Plantation son of George Plater Tayloe grandson of John Tayloe III of The Octagon House great grandson of John Tayloe II of Mount Airy Architect of Hawthorne Louise Wooster famed Madam F B Yielding 1864 1948 founder of Yielding department store chainReferences edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service March 13 2009 Hole Donna C November 8 1976 Oak Hill Cemetery National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form National Park Service Archived from the original on September 17 2021 Retrieved March 17 2014 See also Accompanying photos Archived from the original on September 17 2021 Retrieved March 17 2014 Jeane Gregory A Brief History of Oak Hill Cemetery accessed April 1 2006External links edit nbsp Media related to Oak Hill Cemetery Birmingham Alabama at Wikimedia Commons Oak Hill Cemetery at Find a Grave nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oak Hill Cemetery Birmingham Alabama amp oldid 1207533809, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
