Oak Hill Cemetery, located just north of downtown, is

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% fr ...

's oldest

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

. Originally 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 The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

veterans, and the first male child born in the city. Although few records exist from the time, most believe the "

Potter's Field A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pu ...

" section was also used as the final resting place for many victims of the 1873

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

epidemic. In 1889 Judge A. O. Lane purchased on the southern slopes of

Red Mountain (Birmingham, Alabama) Red Mountain is a long ridge running southwest-northeast and dividing Jones Valley from Shades Valley south of Birmingham, Alabama. It is part of the Ridge-and-Valley region of the Appalachian mountains. The Red Mountain Formation of hard Siluri ...

, 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 Indiana limestone — also known as Bedford limestone in the building trade — has long been an economically important building material, particularly for monumental public structures. Indiana limestone is a more common term for Salem Limestone, ...

, designed by Miller & Martin Architects with William Kessler, landscape architect. ''See also:'' In 1977, Oak Hill Cemetery was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. 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

* William S. Mudd (1816–1884), builder of

Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens, or Arlington Historic House, is a former plantation house and of landscaped gardens near downtown Birmingham, Alabama. The two-story frame structure was built between 1845–50 and features antebellum-era ...

* Robert Henley, First mayor of Birmingham * W. J. McDonald, acting mayor of Robert Henley * Frank M. Dixon, Governor of Alabama *

Louise Wooster Louise Catharine Wooster (June 12, 1842 – May 16, 1913), better known as Lou Wooster, was a famous madam in Birmingham, Alabama. Her colorful character and her care for the sick and dying during the cholera epidemic of 1873 endeared her to the ...

, famed Madam * Mortimer Jordan, health care pioneer *

William Hugh Smith William Hugh Smith (April 26, 1826 – January 1, 1899) was an American planter and politician, the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama. He was the first Republican elected as governor in the state, serving from 1868 to 1870 during t ...

, Governor of Alabama 1868–1870 * Rucker Agee (1897–1985), banker and map collector * Edmund Rucker, Confederate Army

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Charles Linn Charles Linn born Carl Erik Engelbert Sjödahl (June 13, 1814 – August 7, 1882) was a sailor, wholesaler, banker, and industrialist. He was a captain in the Confederate Navy and an important figure in Alabama's early economy. Early life Carl ...

, industrialist and financier * John T. Milner (1826–1898), railroad engineer, pioneer * Henry F. DeBardeleben (1840-1910), industrialist and developed Bessemer * Ellen Pratt DeBardeleben (1844-1894), daughter of Daniel Pratt *

James Sloss James Withers Sloss (April 7, 1820 – May 4, 1890) was a planter, industrialist, and the founder of the Sloss Furnaces, and a leading figure in the early development of Birmingham, Alabama. Early life Sloss was born Limestone County in norther ...

, railroad magnate, founder of

Sloss Furnaces Sloss Furnaces is a National Historic Landmark in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States. It operated as a pig iron-producing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971. After closing, it became one of the first industrial sites (and the only blast furnace ...

* John William Tayloe (1831-1904), Confederate Army

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Jeff Davis Legion of Hampton's Division, Stuart's Cavalry, Army of Northern Virginia. Born Buena Vista Plantation son of

George Plater Tayloe George Plater Tayloe ( October 15, 1804 – Apr 18, 1897) was a Virginia businessman, soldier and legislator who also served as one of the original trustees of Hollins University. Early life George Tayloe was born October 15, 1804, at Mount Airy ...

, grandson of

John Tayloe III John Tayloe III (September 2, 1770March 23, 1828), of Richmond County, Virginia, was a planter, politician, businessman, and tidewater gentry scion. He was prominent in elite social circles. A highly successful planter and thoroughbred horse b ...

The Octagon House The Octagon House, also known as the Colonel John Tayloe III House, is located at 1799 New York Avenue, Northwest in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. After the British destroyed the White House during the War of 1812, the house ...

, great grandson of

John Tayloe II Colonel John Tayloe II (28 May 172118 April 1779) was a planter and politician, among the richest planters in colonial Virginia. He served in public office including the Virginia Governor's Council, also known as the Virginia Council of State. ...

of Mount Airy. Architect of

Hawthorne Hawthorne often refers to the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne may also refer to: Places Australia *Hawthorne, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane Canada * Hawthorne Village, Ontario, a suburb of Milton, Ontario United States * Hawt ...

* Walter Henley, coal baron, banker, philanthropist * F. B. Yielding (1864–1948), founder of Yielding department store chain * Henry M. Caldwell, president of Elyton Land Company, owner of Peanut Depot building * Arthur H. Parker (1870–1939), educator, namesake of A. H. Parker High School * William E. B. Davis, pioneer gynecologist * Frank P. O'Brien, manufacturer, mayor, industrialist, developer and opera-house owner *

Fred Shuttlesworth Frederick Lee Shuttlesworth (born Fred Lee Robinson, March 18, 1922 – October 5, 2011) was a U.S. civil rights activist who led the fight against segregation and other forms of racism as a minister in Birmingham, Alabama. He was a co-founder o ...

(1922-2011), civil rights leader

References

* Jeane, Gregory.
A Brief History of Oak Hill Cemetery
. - accessed April 1, 2006 {{National Register of Historic Places in Alabama Cemeteries in Birmingham, Alabama Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama National Register of Historic Places in Birmingham, Alabama Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage Tudor Revival architecture in Alabama