CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
AUBURN — Want to meet up with one of Auburn’s most notorious characters, highlighted by the full moon and luminaries in the cemetery? How about the founders of the town?
The Pine Hill Cemetery Lantern Tour, hosted by the Auburn Heritage Association, is coming up on Oct. 23 and 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Auburn Heritage Association conducts this walking tour every other year in historic Pine Hill Cemetery, offering one of the best ways to learn about local history. Proceeds from the tour support projects to preserve and promote the history of Auburn.
As usual, the tour will feature historical Auburn characters buried at Pine Hill, the city’s oldest cemetery. The six acres of land for Pine Hill Cemetery is located on Armstrong Street and was donated in 1837 by the city’s founder, Judge John J. Harper, whose first son, William H. Harper, was buried there in 1838.
The tour offers the opportunity to learn from and laugh with the interesting inhabitants of Pine Hill. Local volunteers will portray the characters and give brief biographies. Some of the characters returning will include Judge Harper; Virginia Howe, the 16-year-old who was buried in her front yard and later moved to Pine Hill; and Uncle Billy, who is buried above ground with his shoes under the bed. New characters will be added this year, including Susan Dowdell Samford, Dorothy Duggar, Wilbur Hutzel and Dr. Patricia Teer. All will provide interesting insight into Auburn’s social, educational and economic developments during the late 19th to mid-20th century.
The Wire Grass Band will be set up at the gate to entertain patrons entering the cemetery. Beautiful ladies in period dress, with lighted lanterns will escort visitors with luminaries lighting the way throughout the historic cemetery, where 170 Confederate soldiers are buried. The granite monument commemorating the Confederate soldiers that were hospitalized in Old Main (the college’s main building where Samford Hall now stands) will feature the Confederate Unknown Soldier.
The history of the city and the history of Auburn University are intertwined and come alive at this event. Pine Hill has five past college presidents buried there, along with numerous college professors and administrators. The Auburn Heritage Association published the book, “Auburn, Sweet Auburn, History, Stories and Epitaphs of Pine Hill Cemetery, 1836-2010.” This book, along with Sam Hendrix’s “Auburn: A History in Street Names,” will be available for purchase.
Reserve tickets online for a specific day and time to arrive. Tickets will also be sold at the gate for $15. Park at Auburn Junior High School and take a trolley ride to the cemetery. The tour is family-friendly, and children are welcome.
