Old Town Cemetery

Old Town Cemetery is one of the oldest in Franklin County and contains the graves of some of the pioneer citizens of the town of Russellville.

The cemetery is along the original Jackson’s Military Road; the route connecting Nashville, TN with New Orleans, LA. After the War of 1812, Congress appropriated funds in 1816 to build and improve this road. It was completed in 1820. The road was named for then General Andrew Jackson, hero of the United States victory at the Battle of New Orleans against British forces.

The oldest marked grave in the cemetery is that of William Wilson, who died at the age of 47 in 1823. This cemetery also includes remains of Katherine “Bonnie Kate” Sevier, wife John Sevier who was the first governor of Tennessee. In 1922, some of her remains were disinterred and removed to Knoxville, Tennessee to be laid to rest by her husband.

There are only a few remaining Dogwood trees that were planted in honor of all of the Franklin County Veterans by Mr. Allen O’Reilly, a Russellville native, business man, historian, and a veteran of WWI.

This cemetery was added to the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register on May 18, 2012.