Restoration

The years and vandals had taken a heavy toll on the cemetery. Kudzu, vines, underbrush and fallen trees covered the cemetery property. The road to the cemetery was impassable due to numerous large trees that had fallen across it. The brick work and granite coping around Governor Shorter’s plot had collapsed and taken down the iron fence with it. The decorative iron gates to the two Shorter plots had been stolen. Grave stones were broken. The cemetery was truly in peril and its survival was very much in doubt.

Since 2009 a small group of dedicated local volunteers have been working on the restoration of the cemetery and its grounds. The “Friends of Shorter Cemetery, Inc.” was formed and the group has obtained 501(3)(c) Status from the IRS.

Financial support for the restoration projects at Shorter Cemetery has come from grants from: The Alabama Historical Commission, The Sons of Confederate Veterans, The Barbour County Genealogy Club, The Alabama Power Company Foundation and numerous local citizens. 

Thanks to this support, the site has been cleared, downed trees removed, kudzu treated and cleared, masonry and stone work repaired, graves cleaned and restored, the iron fence repaired, historic iron gates installed, new brick entrance gate piers built, stone markers installed and the slave-servant plot has been restored. Much of the work has been done by local volunteers.

The cemetery has been fortunate to receive grants to fund the restoration projects, but these fund cannot be used to fund the ongoing maintenance and the care of the grounds. The cost to maintain the cemetery is totally dependent on donations and people becoming members of “Friends of Shorter Cemetery”.