CALERA, Ala. (WBRC) – A long-forgotten African American cemetery in Calera listed on Alabama’s historic registry has fallen into disrepair.

Now, residents and city leaders are working together to restore it and preserve the legacy of those buried there.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, the cemetery dates back to the late 1880s.

It is the final resting place of more than 225 individuals, with at least 150 unmarked graves. Among those buried are enslaved people, veterans, civil rights activists and community pioneers.

“All of our ancestors played some significant role in their community at some point,” said Reena Wicker, trustee chairwoman of First Baptist Church of Calera. “And just because they’re laying to rest doesn’t mean they’re forgotten.”

The cemetery, historically known as the “Old Colored Cemetery,” spans 2.5 acres and is owned by First Baptist Church of Calera. Volunteer historian Natalie Rouse stumbled upon it during a visit and soon realized no comprehensive burial records existed.

“As I started looking closer at the online records, there wasn’t one,” Rouse said. “There wasn’t a comprehensive list of everyone buried here.”

Rouse later discovered the site is already listed on Alabama’s historic registry, something the church was unaware of.

Since then, she has spent six months researching, documenting and collecting stories to reconstruct the cemetery’s history.

“Not only [do we want] to bring this cemetery to a place of beauty that it probably once was, and still has every potential of being,” Rouse said, “but also to lay in place a preservation plan for the future.”

Wicker, whose family members are buried at the site, says the project is deeply personal.

“So, it’s a work of love when I come out here and see the different headstones and look at the markers,” Wicker said.

At a recent city council meeting, Rouse and other advocates asked city leaders to fund a historic marker and commit to supporting restoration efforts over the next three years.

“We will be seriously considering the restoration of this cemetery due to its historic value,” said Calera City Councilwoman Kay Turner.

Turner said the cemetery is not just a burial ground, but a vital part of Calera’s identity.

“The cemetery is a sacred historic site,” she said. “It connects the community to its heritage. It honors the legacy of our ancestors, those African Americans that have gone on before our African American veterans. It’s a place of dignity and respect.”

Organizers plan to launch a Facebook page and coordinate public cleanup days this fall.

They say they’ll need volunteers and financial support to help remove overgrowth, lift sunken headstones, bring in gravel and conduct ground-penetrating radar surveys to identify unmarked graves.

City leaders say they’re committed to honoring those buried in the cemetery and supporting efforts to restore the site to its original dignity.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2025 WBRC. All rights reserved.