BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 199: Visit the Old Beulah Cemetery in Conecuh County

Old Beulah Cemetery in Conecuh County, Ala. 

The Old Beulah Cemetery is generally considered to be one of the most historic (and creepy) locations in all of Conecuh County, Ala. Located just a short drive from Evergreen, this is a place that I’ve wanted to visit for several years, which is why I put it on my “bucket list” last year. A few days ago, I made the short trip to this historic cemetery and officially scratched this item off my list.

As best that I can remember, the first time that I ever heard of the Old Beulah Cemetery was in October 2010 when I was compiling information for my first ever list of “Spookiest Places in Conecuh County.” While discussing potential places to put on this list with local residents, one location kept coming up again and again – the Old Beulah Cemetery. Even though I’d never been there myself, it was sort of a no-brainer to put it on my “Spookiest Places” list.

I come to learn later, thanks to the “History of Conecuh County, Alabama” by B.F. Riley, that the Old Beulah Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Conecuh County, and many of the county’s earliest pioneer settlers were buried there. Foremost among these pioneers was the Rev. Alexander Travis, who founded the Old Beulah Church. This once-thriving church was located near the present-day cemetery, but as best that I could tell, no trace of the old church building remains.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Old Beulah Cemetery, it’s located about eight miles southeast of Evergreen, off of Conecuh County Road 29. The cemetery is on the west side of County Road 29, and the road leading into the old cemetery is an unmarked, unpaved road, just north of the Hagood Road (which is also known as “Monster Road”). Be forewarned, the road leading into the cemetery, while in relatively good shape, is very narrow and somewhat overgrown. (If you decide to visit this cemetery for yourself, use good common sense and be sure to respect your surroundings.)

I made a quick trip to this cemetery a few days ago and spent about 20 minutes exploring. I was somewhat surprised that there weren’t more graves there, that is, I expected the cemetery to be larger, somewhat like the McConnico Cemetery in Monroe County. While walking around the Old Beulah Cemetery, I got the impression that many of the graves within the confines of the graveyard are unmarked. Most of the marked graves appear to date back to the 1800s, and the oldest headstone that I saw was that of six-year-old Mary Boykin, who died on Sept. 12, 1822.

The most prominent grave in the cemetery is that of the Rev. Alexander Travis, who is best known for naming Evergreen and for being the uncle of William Barrett Travis, the hero of the ill-fated Alamo. According to Riley’s “History of Conecuh County,” Rev. Travis's grave marker gives a clue as to the location of the old church building. “At the pulpit end of Old Beulah Church may be seen today by the passerby, a plain marble shaft, which marks the resting place of this sainted pioneer hero,” Riley wrote in his 1881 book.

I have to admit that, even though I was alone, I didn’t once “get the creeps” during my short visit to the Old Beulah Cemetery. It just seemed like a nice, quiet spot in the middle of the woods. However, I can imagine that late at night, especially if you’re in the Halloween mood, it might take on an entirely different cast.

In the end, how many of you have ever been to the Old Beulah Cemetery? What did you think about it? What other historic (and creepy) locations would you recommend that I check out later? Let us know in the comments section below.