Bellingrath Mausoleum - Montgomery, AL - Mausoleums on Waymarking.com

Many people who travel to visit the grave of Hank Williams, Sr. actually visit Oakwood Annex Cemetery. They fail to spot the separate entrance to the Old Oakwood Cemetery down Lower Wetumpka Road. It was the original city cemetery and one can find the final resting places of the people who made up the population of Montgomery. In this case, the mausoleum is the final resting place of the family of Montgomery's pioneer Coca-Cola bottler. It is constructed of stone and has a stained glass window in the back. I was not able to find information on the mausoleum on the web.

According to the Find A Grave site, this is the final resting place of William Albert Bellingrath (1868-1937). The following is from the Alabama Business Hall of Fame web site:

"Shortly after the turn of the century, William Albert Bellingrath arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, where he began to earn a reputation as a pioneer in the Coca-Cola bottling industry and as a leader in the civic and social welfare of Montgomery and the state of Alabama. By 1901, as manager of the commissaries of the Woodstock Coal and Iron Company, he noticed a growing demand among the workers for a new beverage, and he developed a keen interest in the future of Coca-Cola. In 1903, Bellingrath along with his brother, Walter, purchased the Montgomery Coca-Cola franchise. Soon they were able to pay off their debt and purchase the Mobile franchise. William Bellingrath remained in Montgomery. Innovative ideas and strategies such as store deliveries and the installation of modern bottling equipment characterized the career of Bellingrath in Montgomery. He served as the president of the Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association in 1916. Bellingrath married Mary Nesbitt Elmore in 1906, and the couple contributed to the Montgomery philanthropic community for decades. Bellingrath served as a director of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce; contributed to Huntingdon College where a building is named in his and his wife’s honor; gave generously to the Presbyterian Home for Orphans at Talladega; was a trustee of Agnes Scott College in Atlanta; and was an elder of the Presbyterian Church." source: (visit link)

History: From the historical marker near the entrance: "The city cemetery was begun by donations of land from Andrew Dexter in 1817 and from General John Scott in 1818. Dexter and Scott had founded separate villages which combined to form Montgomery in 1819. The early part of the graveyard was known as Scott's Free Burying Ground. The cemetery was open to all of Montgomery's people. Many of the soldiers and prominent statesmen who shaped history as well as ordinary citizens, hanged felons, and unknowns rest in Old Oakwood. Nearly 140 acres in size, the cemetery has no more lots for sale." Visiting Hours/Restrictions: The cemetery is open during daylight hours. Address: 829 Columbus Street Montgomery, AL USA 36104 Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Post a minimum of at least one picture, Gps not required. Explain experience of visit.

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Date Logged Log   12/31/2013 wheelturner visited it 08/15/2013 j1srus visited it

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