The Pioneer Cemetery, established in 1819, is Greenville's oldest cemetery. The oldest known grave is that of James Dunklin (June 24, 1779 - April 10, 1827), but there are many unmarked and "lost" graves that may be older.

Captain William Butler, for whom the county is named, is buried there along with many Greenville/Butler County pioneers and Confederate Civil War soldiers. The last burial in Pioneer Cemetery took place in 1961 when Lily Black Stanley (July 2, 1876-August 3, 1961) was buried there.

In 2008, The City of Greenville began working hand in hand with The Pioneer Cemetery Preservation Association  (PCPA) to perform much needed restoration work on Pioneer. All the graves were photographed and cataloged by City Employee Christy Bozeman, who divided the cemetery into three sections; A, B, & C. It was determined by the PCPA and the City, Section C would be our first focus. In 2009, restoration work began and is continuing to the present day. The PCPA has been fortunate to receive grants from the Alabama Historical Commission to help with part of the expenses of this ongoing work. Currently, we are performing restoration work in Section B and are approximately half way through repairs. We still have section C and a long way to go before completion, but we invite you to tour Pioneer and see the completed restoration work and progress for yourself.

Also, please visit the PCPA's website where you can find an index of graves as well as information on how to donate to our cause.