BURIALS AT THE ST. PETER AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH CEMETERIES SEALE, ALABAMA, RUSSELL COUNTY

St. Peter's African Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the oldest African-American churches in Russell County, Alabama, dating back to at least 1881. There are two churches actually – the original church and the new one, built in the 1970s. The old church and cemetery are located at Hyram and Dusty Roads in Seale, Alabama, Russell County.

One legend states that Peter Chadwick, a Black man, purchased two plots of land in Russell County, Alabama – one in 1870 and the second in 1878. He supposedly donated part of the land so that a community church could be built. In his honor, the church was named St. Peter's.
Early Russell County records state that a St. Peter's A.M.E. Church burned down around 1908. The congregation merged with another church until a new church building was erected (the new St. Peter's A.M.E. Church). The only part of the old church that still remains is part of the old cemetery and the old church steps.

Efforts to obtain the Church's history from Church officials have been unsuccessful.

Development has taken over much of the area there, and the African-American descendants of those buried in the old cemetery have had battles with the new residents, mostly white, to establish rights of ingress/egress to the cemetery. The courts confirmed those rights, and family members now have a clear path to access the cemetery. Efforts are currently underway to document information about those buried there so that the cemetery can be added to the list of historic properties.

Based on years of research associated with my family and three visits to the cemetery over the years, I started compiling a list of the people buried in the cemetery. A cousin, Linda Young, conducted a comprehensive survey of the cemetery and her contributions are included here as well. This information should help other researchers who are seeking to understand the lives of those buried in the cemetery.

Information used with permission from Steve Townsend.