Old Cahawba to host annual cemetery walking tour

Published 2:13 pm Friday, October 16, 2020

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Old Cahawba Archeological Park will host a walking tour of the historic properties’ cemeteries this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

According to the Alabama Historical Commission, Old Cahawba’s historic cemeteries provide an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the richly layered history surrounding the events that occurred at the site of Alabama’s first permanent state capital.

Old Cahawba lies at the confluence of the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers, and from 1819 to 1826 served as Alabama’s first capital.

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The one-hour guided tour will highlight one of Cahawba’s historic cemeteries and educate visitors about the personal sagas of many of those who lived there before joining its community of perpetual residents.

The cemeteries at Old Cahawba have undergone a multi-year preservation effort in partnership with The University of Alabama Office of Archaeological Research.

Work has included repair and reassembly of damaged tombstones and cleaning markers.

According to the Alabama Historical Commission, many graves date to pre-Civil War era Cahawba.

Tickets for Saturday’s tour are $8 each and available at the Old Cahawba Visitors’ Center.

Interested parties are encouraged to pre-purchase their tickets in advance of the event by calling 334-872-8058.

Guests are asked to meet at the visitors’ center, rain or shine, on the day of the event.

To accommodate social distancing guidelines, the tour is allotted for a maximum of 15 participants and per Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s Safer at Home guidelines, Old Cahawba will require all persons not from the same household to maintain six feet of distance between individuals.