Before the establishment of the National Cemetery on what is now known as "Cemetery Hill", there was already a cemetery nearby, on the reverse slope of the hill, in the yard of the Lutheran church. The church and its cemetery are the subject of one of Gardner's wartime photos. This was the first church established in Sharpsburg; the ground was donated by Joseph Chapline - the founder of Sharpsburg - in 1768, only 5 years after the town was established. The church was so heavily damaged in the battle that it was torn down in April of 1863 and replaced by a new church on the other side of the turnpike.

Unfortunately, the cemetery is currently in a very poor state of repair; many of the stones are broken, knocked down, or worn away. One gets the impression that it has just survived an artillery bombardment. Nonetheless, the site is rich in history. It is ironic that this cemetery, which was old when the battle of Antietam was fought, is rarely visited today.