Mahala G. Shelton - Pine Hill Cemetery - Auburn, AL - Zinc Headstones on Waymarking.com

The Pine Hill Cemetery was established in 1837, and is the final resting place of people associated with Auburn University as well as residents of the community. There are also graves of Confederate soldiers who died at the hospitals on the campus. In driving through the cemetery, we spotted this distinctive marker. It is located in the northwest side of the cemetery, closer to Hare Avenue.

The marker seems small compared to some in the cemetery, yet one can still get a sense of the grief felt by her husband. We were not able to find any other information about her. She was only 39 when she died.

The entrance to the cemetery is located on Armstrong Street, near the intersection with Casey Avenue. The north border of the cemetery is on Hare Avenue. The coordinates for the entrance are posted below.

There is a historic marker located in the cemetery, along the wall on Armstrong Street, near the intersection with Miller Avenue. As is noted in the marker text, this cemetery has many historic graves.

The text of the marker reads:

Pine Hill

Side 1: Pine Hill was established in 1837 and is the oldest cemetery in Auburn. Judge John J. Harper, Auburn's founder, donated almost six acres to the new town to be used as a community burying ground for white settlers and their slaves. The original part of the cemetery lies to the north and contains the oldest marked grave - 1838. Early cemetery records are non-existent as the fist survey was conducted in the 1950's when over 1,100 marked graves were cataloged. Of this number, only one black grave is identified. A cross section of Auburn Citizens are buried here including University presidents and slaves.

Side 2: In the 1870's a separate black cemetery, Baptist Hill, opened to the southeast. For decades Pine Hill served as the primary burying ground for whites in the area. The city's Confederate marker rises at the rear of the cemetery over the common graves of 98 Texas soldiers who died in a temporary hospital housed in a college building known as "The Main." Pine Hill suffered from vandalism and neglect until 1995 when the Auburn Heritage Association launched a restoration of the cemetery. It was placed on the Alabama Register in 1978 and is owned and maintained by the City of Auburn.

Erected by the Auburn Heritage Association
and Historic Chattahoochee Commission
1995

Additional Coordinates (optional): N 32° 36.029 W 085° 28.721 Date of birth (optional): 04/13/1839 Date of death (optional): 10/26/1878 Headstone text (optional): Front: In Memory of Mrs. Mahala G. Shelton wife of Geo. W. Shelton Born April 13, 1839 Died Oct. 26, 1878 Aged 39 yrs 6 mos 13 dys Back: Dear wife, in earth's thorny paths how long thy feet have trod! To find at last this peaceful rest, safe in the arms of God. Website: Not listed

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