Cemetery in Dale County receives historic marker

Now, across the street from the church, on two and a half acres of land, lies the final resting place of some of the community’s earliest settlers — the Greater Old Salem Cemetery.

After years of trying to bring those pioneers acknowledgment for their efforts, descendants and church members have put the final touches on refurbishing the cemetery by adding an Alabama historic marker Aug. 27.

“(The church) has gone through a series of hardships and setbacks, but overall the church has survived,” Ovetta Smith said. “This is attributed to those people to let them know we haven’t forgotten what (they have) done. We hope that if they were looking down on us, that they are smiling because they can see that what they’ve done was not in vain and that we’re striving to carry on what they started.”

The Alabama Historic Commission (AHC) added the cemetery to its register in late 2010. However, Greater Old Salem Church pastor Rev. J.D. Hillsman said the congregation waited to add the historic marker because Ebenezer Baptist Church (down the street) had just received its marker.

According to the AHC, cemeteries that are added to the registry are believed to be “worthy of preservation and appreciation.”

The Greater Old Salem Cemetery is one of the oldest African-American cemeteries in Dale County. The church and cemetery date back more than 150 years.

According to Hillsman, the oldest headstone in the cemetery is from 1849.

He said the cemetery houses more than 200 graves, including 10 unmarked graves and two of the church’s former pastors, Rev. L.B. Baldwin, who built the church’s edifice, and Rev. O.W. Lewis.

Currently, there are three cemeteries in Dale County listed on the AHC’s register  — Old Mt. Zion Cemetery, Longstreet Cemetery and Greater Old Salem Church Cemetery. 

Hillsman said the Greater Old Salem Church and Cemetery are also listed as a historic site to see on the Chattahoochee Trace Trail, which features Alabama and Georgia counties.

On Tuesday, dozens of church members gathered under the sun to see the historic marker erected on their church’s cemetery including longtime resident Mamie and her husband Lawrence Welcome.

As a retired Army veteran Lawrence said he and his wife moved back to Dale County because it’s where his wife grew up. 

Mamie said she still remembers attending the church as a little girl. She said she is happy to finally see it get some recognition and she and her husband couldn’t agree more.

“This church is still striving,” Lawrence said. “Even if we have two or three people we are still going to have church. But it’s just a wonderful thing to have this church recognized because a lot of churches are not existent today.”                 

Hillsman said the historic marker is significant for the family members and members of the community because of its history.

“(We wanted) to remember the legacy of the members of this community,” he said. “To have something that (our) grandchildren and great-grandchildren can reflect upon and show their own children that this is where (they) came from.”

On Sunday, the congregation will celebrate the church’s anniversary.