Photo by Sarah Owens
Union Hill Cemetery is the final resting place for numerous settlers whose influence extended across Jefferson County.
A quiet cemetery nestled along Hollywood Boulevard serves as a testament to the area’s early pioneers, many of whom played pivotal roles in shaping the communities of Mountain Brook and Homewood.
Union Hill Cemetery is the final resting place for numerous settlers whose influence extended across Jefferson County. Some of the oldest headstones in the cemetery date back to the mid-1850s — marking the graves of families whose descendants helped mold the growing cities around them.
To the east of the cemetery once stood the Union Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. Founded in 1867 near Irondale Furnace, the congregation relocated to Union Hill in 1873. The church building, completed a year later in 1874 on land donated by Pleasant H. Watkins, became a central gathering place for worship and education.
In 1928, the church underwent significant renovations and was renamed Canterbury Methodist Episcopal Church. Union Hill School opened inside the church soon after construction was completed. For years, it served as an educational cornerstone for local children until its closure, which coincided with the opening of Shades Cahaba School.
It remained a local landmark until its eventual demolition, which occurred during highway improvements to U.S. 280.
Though the building no longer stands, the Union Hill site remains a vital link to Shades Valley’s past, preserving the stories of the families who laid the foundations for the modern cities that followed.
