BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – During the late 1800’s, at least 4,700 people were buried in Red Mountain Cemetery. Today, the area is home to the Birmingham Zoo and the Botanical Gardens.
This story is not new to Birmingham natives who are savvy when it comes to Alabama history. Yet for many, even those who have lived in Birmingham for years, this story is shocking.
Between 1888 and 1909 the cemetery was used for people who were poor and indigent. Many of the graves were unmarked. After a century, a few large rocks remain marking a few of the thousands who were buried. The majority of the bodies’ locations are unknown.
“There is no map of the area, so there is no way to know where the rows or the lots where,” said Gary Gerlach, a Birmingham Library archivist and former garden director for the Botanical Gardens.
Only one marked grave exists with the name “Annie” crudely chiseled into a stone
“Whoever marked that grave marked it on the front and the back. Apparently they wanted to make sure that she was remembered and her name is listed,” said Birmingham Zoo representative, Katrina Cade.
The Birmingham Library archives are home to a 127-year-old health department burial book. It lists each person buried in the Red Mountain Cemetery, their name, how old they were, and how they died.
“That’s the only record we have of it,” said Gerlach.
The site shows that Annie died in 1890 of septicemia. She was 58-years-old. Many of the other people listed were stillborn, or died from diseases not seen today. History and cemetery experts believe no one was around to speak for the buried people when the Zoo and Gardens were built around 50 years ago.
“It wasn’t unusual for [pauper cemeteries] to be covered over. Progress seems to hold the upper hand when it comes to cemeteries,” said Kermit Dooley, a representative for the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance.
“I find it ironic that we have over 4,000 poor people buried in one of the most affluent areas of Birmingham now,” said Birmingham resident, Katie Gardiner.
Dooley says back when the Zoo and Gardens were built, there were no laws to prevent graves from being built over. In fact, there are 400 graveyards in Jefferson County alone. Only 20 of those are listed in the phone book. That means graves are all over the places people walk, drive and build on.
“There are some communities around here that are built on cemeteries. And it’s peculiar that some people’s tomato plants do better than others,” Gerlach laughed.
This story has sparked the interest of urban explorers for years. Some skeptics will ride the train at the Zoo to see if they can catch a glimpse of the hidden gravestones in the woods.
