Historic grave shelter was once located on Wilcox County soil

Airmont Grave Shelter

I got the chance the other day to look at some historical maps that showed that Wilcox County was once a lot bigger than it is today. According to those maps, Wilcox County had assumed its present shape by the 1840s, but prior to this it once contained significant portions of what are now Butler and Clarke counties. In fact, Wilcox County once contained a sizeable chunk of what is now northeastern Clarke County, and I found this extremely interesting because that means that the Atkeison community was once in Wilcox County.

Many of you have driven through Atkeison, which lies along State Highway 5 between Pine Hill and Thomasville. Located in the extreme northeastern corner of Clarke County, it’s about five miles from downtown Pine Hill. Travelers along this route have also probably noticed a white historical marker that describes one of the most noteworthy cemeteries in all of Alabama – the Airmount Cemetery.

My young son and I visited to this cemetery some time ago and took a few minutes to stop and read the roadside historical marker, which largely describes what is known as the Airmount Grave Shelter. This brick shelter, which is also known as the Hope Family Grave Shelter, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 24, 2000. According to the historical marker, this shelter was built in 1853 and its “unusual splayed eaves and vaulted or ‘compass’ interior ceiling can be traced to Eastern Seaboard church yards in Delaware and Virginia, and this is believed to be the only grave shelter of its type in Alabama.”

After reading both sides of the historical marker, my son and I entered the cemetery on foot and began to explore. Before leaving, we made sure to take a few minutes to look at the Airmount Grave Shelter. It was warmer then, and we proceeded with caution as my imagination called up images of a large rattlesnakes.

We entered the shelter’s spooky interior slowly and examined the old headstones inside. According to those, the oldest headstone marks the grave of Archibald H. Hope, who died at the age of 27 on Sept. 26, 1850. Other graves inside included those of Margaret Hope, Jane A. Hope, John Allison Hope, John Hope and Sara Jane Powell Hope. Sara Hope’s is the most recent burial there. She died on July 7, 1885 – her 56^th birthday.

Additional information revealed that this shelter was restored by Charlie Bulloch of Greene County in 2002 with the help of the Clarke County Historical Society, the Thomas L. Turner Charitable Trust, the Alabama Historical Commission, surviving members of the Hope family and Louis M. Finlay Jr. Back in 2009, property owners deeded the cemetery to the Clarke County Historical Society.

In the end, if you find yourself traveling down State Highway 5 toward Thomasville, take a few minutes to check out this unique cemetery. Even though it’s not currently located within the confines of Wilcox County, it once was and no doubt many of the cemetery’s oldest graves date back to the days when this was Wilcox County soil. As always, respect your surroundings when you visit a cemetery, and, if it’s a warm day, keep an eye out for those rattlesnakes.