Hillside Cemetery is Anniston's original final resting place. It served as the city's main cemetery for decades, starting with the graves of the Anniston's founding fathers. As burial space there became limited, the city of Anniston had a problem on its hands. A problem it solved by building a new cemetery near Saks that is capable of holding thousands of graves.

This year, that cemetery faces the same problem as its predecessor. Edgemont Cemetery is out of space. In fact there are no more family plots for sale. Only single graves can be reserved at Edgemont. However, a unique partnership with a new business will help created 6,000 new plots by 2009. They'll be placed on the East side of Edgemont on land once too difficult to develop.

Thanks to Lowe's, fill dirt is available free of charge to build-up the property.

Mayor Chip Howell says, "With the new Lowe's coming in on Highway 21 it gave us an opportunity to bring in some additional fill in great quantities."

The company donated excess soil from construction. It is enough to fill in the land and extend the cemetery.

Howell says, "It has created almost 6000 lots. We're getting it surveyed now and it will be a great addition to the cemetery."

Mayor Howell wants to see the money from those new lots placed into a perpetual care fund, an account insuring the proper maintenance of Edgemont Cemetery for eternity.

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