Concrete sculpture of a tree by Dionicio Rodriguez

Elmwood Cemetery (also known as Elm Leaf Cemetery) is a cemetery established in 1900 (as Elm Leaf Cemetery) in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% f ...

northwest of Homewood by a group of

fraternal organizations A fraternity or fraternal organization is an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood; dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members. Service clubs, lineage so ...

. It was renamed in 1906 and gradually eclipsed Oak Hill Cemetery as the most prominent burial place in the city. In 1900 it consisted of 40 acres, adding 40 more acres in 1904, 80 more acres in 1909, 80 more acres in 1910, 43 acres in 1924, and reached 286 acres in 1928.

Background

In the late 1930s, Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez created a number of large concrete sculptures for the cemetery, including a palm tree, a bridge, and a fallen log 'carved' into a bench. The cemetery was whites only until 1970 when the family of a black soldier who died in Vietnam won a lawsuit in federal court to force the cemetery to allow their son to be buried there. It has a chapel funeral home at 800 Dennison Avenue Southwest which was established in 1962 by the Lackey family for Johns-Ridout's Mortuary. The cemetery is part of the Dignity Memorial chain. The cemetery is roughly bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Dennison Avenue Southwest, 14th Place Southwest, and railroad tracks. The main entrance is directly across from 6th Avenue Southwest. There is a secondary entrance on Martin Luther King Drive just behind the Johns-Ridout's Mortuary. The cemetery is made up of about fifty large blocks, of varying shapes and sizes, each of which contains up to several hundred lots; each lot contains as many as eight or ten burial plots. As of early 2017, the cemetery contained about 130,000 burials. Notable sections include at least two areas dedicated to newborns and infants, with brass plaques that say "BABYLAND" on them. There are also four mausoleums. The body of

16th Street Baptist Church bombing The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was a white supremacist terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, September 15, 1963. Four members of a local Ku Klux Klan chapter planted 19 sticks of dynami ...

victim, Denise McNair was exhumed from Shadow Lawn Memorial Park to this cemetery by her parents in August 2007.

Notable burials

Truman H. Aldrich Truman Heminway Aldrich (October 17, 1848 – April 28, 1932) was a civil engineer, a mining company executive, and a paleontologist, and briefly served in the United States House of Representatives and as Postmaster of Birmingham. He is the so ...

(1848–1932) – U. S. Representative 1896–1897 * William W. Allen (1835–1894) – Confederate Major General * Mary Anderson (1866–1953) – inventor of the windshield wiper * Donald Beatty (1900–1980) – aviator, explorer and inventor *

Sydney J. Bowie Sydney Johnston Bowie (July 26, 1865 – May 7, 1928) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama, nephew of Franklin Welsh Bowdon. Born in Talladega, Alabama, Bowie attended private schools, and was graduated from the law department of the Univ ...

(1865–1928) – U. S. Representative 1901–1907 * Paul W. "Bear" Bryant (1913–1983) – University of Alabama football coach * Anna Lee "Boots" Carroll (1930–2017) – American theater, film & television actress * Ben Chapman (1908–1993) – Major League baseball player and manager * B. B. Comer (1848–1927) – Governor of Alabama 1907–1911, U. S. Senator 1920 * Father James Coyle (1873–1921) – assassinated priest of St. Paul's church *

George Gordon Crawford George Gordon Crawford (August 24, 1869 – March 20, 1936) was an American industrialist. Early life and education Crawford was born to George Gilmore and Margaret Reed Howard Crawford on August 24, 1869 and raised on a plantation in Madison, ...

(1869–1936) – Industrialist and second graduate of

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

* Russell McWhortor Cunningham (1855–1921) – Governor of Alabama 1904–1905 *

Spud Davis Virgil Lawrence "Spud" Davis (December 20, 1904 – August 14, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cinc ...

(1904–1984) – professional baseball player and manager * Henry T. DeBardeleben (1874–1948) – Coal magnate * William Henry Denson (1846–1906) – U. S. Representative 1893–1895 * Eddie Dent (1887–1974) – professional baseball player * Joe Domnanovich (1919–2009) – professional football player * Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin, Sr. (1921–2002) – World War II veteran –

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient * William Dudley Geer (1922–2003) – first Dean of the School of Business at

Samford University Samford University is a private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College by Baptists. Samford University describes itself as the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United St ...

* Milton L. Grafman (1907–1995) – Former Rabbi o
Temple Emanuel
and civil rights figure *

John Grenier John Edward Grenier (August 24, 1930 – November 6, 2007) was a figure in the 1964 presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater. Grenier is one of the figures credited with using the Southern Strategy in that campaign and one of the figures responsib ...

(1930–2007) – Alabama Republican Party chairman *

Sam Hairston Samuel Harding Hairston (January 20, 1920 – October 31, 1997) was a Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball player. He played for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro leagues and played part of one season ...

(1920–1997) – Major League baseball player *

Art Hanes Arthur J. Hanes (October 19, 1916 – May 8, 1997) served as mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, between 1961 and 1963, a tumultuous time that saw the city become a focal point in the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement during the Birmingham campaign. Hane ...

(1916–1997) – Mayor of Birmingham 1961–1963 * Lum Harris (1915–1996) – professional baseball manager (Houston Astros & Atlanta Braves) *

Erskine Hawkins Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" (1 ...

(1914–1993) – Musician, trumpeter, composer *

Cliff Holman Cliff Holman (born James Clifton Holman, Jr. June 29, 1929 in Mobile, Alabama; died September 8, 2008 in Albertville, Alabama), best known as "Cousin Cliff," was a well-known television personality in the Birmingham, Alabama market. As Cousin Cliff ...

(1929–2008) – Birmingham television celebrity *

George Huddleston George Huddleston (November 11, 1869 – February 29, 1960) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama, father of George Huddleston, Jr. Life and career Huddleston was born on a farm near Lebanon, Tennessee, the son of Nancy Emeline (Sherril ...

(1869–1960) – U. S. Representative 1915–1937 * George Huddleston, Jr. (1920–1971) – U. S. Representative 1955–1965 * Patti Ruffner Jacobs (1875–1935) – social reformer * Joseph Forney Johnston (1843–1913) – Governor of Alabama 1896–1900, U. S. Senator 1907–1913 *

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptatio ...

(1939–1992) – singer, co-founder of

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

Larry Langford Larry Paul Langford (March 18, 1946 – January 8, 2019) was an American politician who had a one-term tenure as the mayor of the city of Birmingham, Alabama. At the time of his death, Langford was hospitalized on compassionate release from servi ...

(1946–2019) – Alabama politician *

Dee Miles Wilson Daniel Miles (February 15, 1909 – November 2, 1976) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1935 to 1943 for the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Athletics, and Boston Red Sox. H ...

(1909–1976) – Major League baseball player * John P. Newsome (1893–1961) – U. S. Representative 1943–1945 * Louise O. Charlton (1889–1967) – Federal Commissioner and judge, 1924–1965 *

Luther Patrick Luther Patrick (January 23, 1894 – May 26, 1957) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama. Early life Born near Decatur, Alabama, Patrick attended the local public schools, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, and Purdue University, L ...

(1894–1957) – U. S. Representative 1937–1943 * John C. Persons (1888-1974) - lawyer and U.S. Major General *

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

(1914–1993) – Jazz musician *

Erskine Ramsay Erskine Ramsay (September 24, 1864 – August 15, 1953) was an Alabama industrialist. Biography He was born September 24, 1864 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. His family came from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland the same town as Andrew Carnegie. ...

(1864–1953) – Inventor, engineer, philanthropist *

Rufus N. Rhodes Rufus Napoleon Rhodes (June 5, 1856, Pascagoula, Mississippi – January 12, 1910, Birmingham, Alabama) was the founder and managing editor of the '' Birmingham News'' from 1888 until his death. He served as a director and 2nd Vice-President of ...

(1856–1910) – founder of the '' Birmingham News'' * Bo Russell (1916–1997) – professional football player * Ed Salem (1928–2001) – professional football player and restaurateur * Albert Lee Smith, Jr. (1931–1997) –

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Alabama's 6th congressional district Alabama's 6th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama that elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It is composed of the wealthier portions of Birmingham, nearly all of Jeffer ...

from 1981 to 1983 *

Fred Sington Frederic William Sington (February 24, 1910 – August 20, 1998) was an American football and baseball player. Sington was also an accomplished saxophonist. Sington was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and was Jewish. He attended Phillips High Sch ...

(1910–1998) – professional football player *

Jesse F. Stallings Jesse Francis Stallings (April 4, 1856 – March 18, 1928) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama. Born near Manningham, Alabama, to Reuben Stallings and Lucinda Ferguson. Stallings completed preparatory studies and was graduated from the Un ...

(1856–1928) – U. S. Representative 1893–1901 * Pat Sullivan (1950–2019) – Football player and coach. *

Oscar Underwood Oscar Wilder Underwood (May 6, 1862 – January 25, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician from Alabama, and also a candidate for President of the United States in 1912 and 1924. He was the first formally designated floor leader in the Unit ...

(1862–1929) – U. S. Senator 1915–1927 * Dixie Walker (1887–1965), Fred "Dixie" Walker's father * Dixie Walker (1911–1982) – Major League baseball player * Frank S. White (1847–1922) – U. S. Senator 1914–1915 *

Abraham Woods Abraham Lincoln Wood Jr. (October 7, 1928 – November 7, 2008) was an American civil rights leader, who helped coordinate the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and stood behind Martin Luther King Jr. during his historic " I Have a Dre ...

(1928–2008) – minister and civil rights activist *

Yam Yaryan Clarence Everett "Yam" Yaryan (November 5, 1892 – November 16, 1964) was a professional baseball player. Yaryan played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox in 1921 and 1922, primarily as a catcher. He batted and threw r ...

(1892–1964) – Major League baseball player

References

External links

* * {{Find a Grave cemetery Cemeteries in Birmingham, Alabama 1900 establishments in Alabama