Airmount Grave Shelter near Thomasville, AL (1853)
The Airmount Grave Shelter, also known as the Hope Family Grave Shelter, is a Greek Revival structure located in the Airmount Cemetery near Thomasville, Alabama. It was built in 1853 by John Hope. The unusual splayed eaves and vaulted, or “compass” interior ceiling, of this grave shelter can be traced to Eastern Seaboard church yards in Delaware and Virginia. This is believed to be the only grave shelter of its type in Alabama. The shelter covers graves of six members of the John Hope family. The shelter was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 2000 as a part of the Clarke County Multiple Property Submission. In 2009, Hope Family Properties deeded this grave shelter and cemetery to the Clarke County Historical Society.
The Airmount Grave Shelter is located on the left side of Hwy 5 approximately 5 miles north of the intersection of Hwy 5 & Hwy 43 at Thomasville, AL (GPS coordinates: N31.968889,W87.669750).
Sources: 1) Wikipedia; 2) The Airmount Grave Shelter And Cemetery Historical Marker (located at the cemetery).
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