The Auburn University Chapel, built in 1851 by a Presbyterian congregation, is the oldest public building in Auburn, Alabama. During the Civil War, it was utilized as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. In 1864, Sydney Grimlett, a British volunteer serving for the South, was struck in the leg by pieces of cannon shrapnel. By the time he received care for his injured limb, it had turned gangrenous. Grimlett died of blood loss during the amputation (some sources claim he succumbed to the infection). He was buried in the nearby graveyard.
The Adams Grove Presbyterian Church, constructed in the Greek revival-style in 1853, is one of the few pre-Civil War churches remaining in the area. The cemetery outside of the church was built at least five years prior. The last congregation was held in either 1974 or 1986, depending on the source. It is widely considered to be one of the most haunted locations in Alabama.
