Reburial Honors 89 Former Bryce Patients
Three state and university agencies dedicated the reburial of graves removed to make way for the Woosley Finnell Bridge widening.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Alzheimer’s
The University of Alabama, Alabama Department of Transportation, and Alabama Department of Mental Health dedicated the reburial of 89 graves of former Bryce Hospital patients in Tuscaloosa. The graves, some dating to the mid-1800s, were moved from Jack Warner Parkway to Harper Court behind the University of Alabama.
Why it matters
The graves were removed to prepare for the widening of the new Woosley Finnell Bridge across the Black Warrior River. The process took nearly two years and returns the remains of former mental health patients to a dedicated resting place.
The reburial covered 89 graves, while about 6,000 deaths had been recorded at what became Bryce Hospital by 1922. The project took nearly two years, and the source does not specify how individual graves were identified.
The players
University of Alabama
A public research university in Tuscaloosa that hosted the reburial site behind its campus on Harper Court.
Alabama Department of Transportation
The state agency responsible for highway planning and construction, which oversaw the bridge widening that required the grave removal.
Alabama Department of Mental Health
The state agency that oversees public mental health services, including the legacy of Bryce Hospital.
The details
Graves were moved from the original site off Jack Warner Parkway and reburied on Harper Court behind the University of Alabama. Following the Wednesday ceremony, project participants formed a prayer circle.
Timeline
December 1861: First recorded death at the Alabama Insane Hospital.
1922: Around 6,000 deaths recorded at what later became Bryce Hospital.
Nearly two years before the reburial: The relocation process began.
November 4, 2026: Reburial funeral ceremony held in Tuscaloosa.
Big Picture
The reburial revisits the legacy of Bryce Hospital, where about 6,000 people died by 1922, and places those patients' remains in a dedicated resting site. It reflects a broader effort to address the records of former mental health institutions in Alabama.
Residents driving across the Woosley Finnell Bridge will see the widened structure once construction is complete. Families with ties to Bryce Hospital may find the new reburial site on Harper Court a place to visit.
The takeaway
The reburial shows how infrastructure projects can uncover and reshape the history of institutions that shaped a community. Readers interested in local history can follow such developments through state agency and university announcements.
Further reading
For more on the history of mental health care, see Alzheimer's coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wbrc.
