After the Civil War, African Americans established not only their own communities and churches but also their own burial places. Many of the grave markings were handmade and inscribed by hand. African American cemeteries were usually not landscaped with fancy trees or flowers. It is believed that this is based on a religious belief of acceptance of death as being realistic, and that death and pain cannot be relieved by spending sums of money when families must still live after the death of their loved ones. Earlier graves show that elaborate markers were not used, and in some cases, only a mound of dirt is the lone reminder that it is a grave site. The earliest marked grave located in the Shiloh Cemetery is dated 1902. It is believed that some unmarked graves may date back to 1875. Burials continue to be held in the cemetery.

The Shiloh Cemetery is situated atop a hill about ¼ mile south of the Shiloh School and Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, at the intersection of Highway 81 and Pistol Range Road. The land embraced in this cemetery is approximately two acres. Burial at this cemetery was initially permitted by a former white resident of the community. Mr. Barnes gave his permission for Shiloh to bury their members on the property. In later years, Mr. Charlie Pollard, a member of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and a Tuskegee Syhilis participant, purchased the property from Mr. Barnes and donated the property to the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. Still being used today for burial of church members, the Shiloh Cemetery contains approximately 150 graves; 30 are unmarked graves and yet to be identified. Although the oldest grave dates back to 1902, the site has been used since the organization of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in 1870. Approximately 40% of the graves are 40 years old or older.

Many graves are without headstones, some are without markers; some display aluminum markers given by funeral homes and are no longer legible; some show homemade cement headstones with illegible writing; and some have new headstones. Some graves are partially sunken and need to be leveled. All graves lie east to west with families being buried as close to the same proximity as possible.

A survey of the cemetery was conducted to identify and document the number of Tuskegee Syphilis Study participants buried in the Shiloh Cemetery.    Survey results revealed the following individuals: