New Orleans' Cemeteries

In his book, Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain wrote: "...to speak
in broad, general terms, there is no architecture in New Orleans, except in the cemeteries."
While I strongly disagree with this statement, the man was right about the amazing architecture of our cemeteries.

A lack of usable land combined with a high water table and Catholic rules against cremation made it necessary for New Orleans to come up with a way to inter as many people above ground, using as little space as possible. The solution came from the Spanish, with their unique crypts designed to accelerate decomposition so that, with a year and a day between interments, unlimited bodies could be stored in a single, small structure.
Add the beautiful statuary put up to memorialize the deceased and you have the beautiful cemeteries New Orleans has today.
This is a place where you can look at and buy images of our magnificent cemeteries, plan a trip down here, discuss your love of the city and buy books on these unique "cities of the dead."

from Cities of the Dead dot net



St. Louis Number One was built in 1789. It is the oldest cemetery in the metro New Orleans area. Its location, on what is now Basin Street between Conti and St. Louis Streets was actually outside of the city at the time it was built. Like most cemeteries, it was built just out of town, but the town eventually overtook the cemetery. The neighborhood around the cemetery became known as Faubourg Treme, then later it was known as the infamous Storyville red-light district. Built and consecrated in 1789, St. Louis Number One is the cities oldest cemetery still standing. It is not, however the first cemetery built in New Orleans. The original cemetery bounded Rampart, Toulouse, St. Peter, and Burgundy. This cemetery was abandoned after the 1788 fire. It was decided to build the new St. Louis cemetery outside the existing city walls. The northern limit of New Orleans was Rue Rampart at the time; that is why the street is so named.
Colonial New Orleans, 1715-1803. The star outside the city rampart indicates the location of St. Louis Cemetery Number One

By the 1820s, however, it was obvious that the city would need additional cemeteries. In spite of family and benevolent society tombs and the walls of niche tombs, the cemetery was filling up. A growing population combined with outbreaks of yellow fever led to the construction of St. Louis Number Two two blocks behind Number One, and the Girod Street Cemetery over on the American" side of town. The Girod Street Cemetery was the city's first Protestant-owned cemetery. Prior to its opening, Protestant New Orleanians were buried in the back section of St. Louis Number One, in what is known as the Protestant section.

All three of the St. Louis Cemeteries (as well as most of the other cemeteries named after saints) are owned and operated by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Although some the tombs in St. Louis Number One have fallen on hard times, the archdiocese's perpetual care funds keep the cemeteries clean and neat. As funds come available, work is done to restore some of the older tombs (particularly those with historical merit).




Saint Louis number 1 tomb search
book a walking tour of St Louis number 1

Many historical figures are buried here including Ernst Moral, the city's first black mayor and the inventor of craps.
One of the most famous tombs in Saint Louis number 1 is the Glapion family tomb. Although the Glapions have an important place in New Orleans' history, it is the lover of Christophe de Glapion, Marie Leveau, who draws thousands of tourists to this historic cemetery every year.
Commonly known as the Voodoo queen of New Orleans, Marie, a free woman of color and hairdresser by trade, was a well-known crusader against slavery and public execution. She is reputed to have used her status as a religious leader to save many men from the gallows.
Glapion, the father to 15 of Leveau's children, tried to marry Marie on several occasions, even going so far as to attempt to be legally recognized as a person of color (he was from the white branch of the family). But the laws of the time prevented their union from being legally recognized.
But I digress.
An unfortunate tradition is to draw three xs on the tomb to ask the assistance of Marie Laveau which has, over the years, done a great deal of damage to this important landmark.
Leaving offerings is fine, but please don't deface the tomb any further.



learn more about Marie Laveau by reading this great biography by Martha Ward

After the directors of Easy Rider filmed a morbid scene near the Italia tomb, the Archdiocese of New Orleans carefully scrutinized all filming in the cemetery. Most movies such as Double Jeopardy, Interview with the Vampire, and Dracula 2000 were now filmed in the Lafayette Cemetery. The cemetery is located towards the end of Conti St., past N. Rampart on Basin Street.

St. Louis #2 is located some 3 blocks back from St. Louis #1, bordering Claiborne Avenue. It was consecrated in 1823. A number of notable jazz and rhythm & blues musicians are buried here, including Danny Barker and Ernie K. Doe. Also entombed here is Dominique You, a notorious pirate who assisted in the defense of the city against the British in the Battle of New Orleans. Andre Cailloux, African-American hero of the American Civil War is also buried here.

The cemetery received minor flooding during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and its tombs seemed virtually untouched by the storm when the water went down, aside from the brownish waterline visible on all structures that were flooded.

There are also many notable citizens of 19th and 20th century New Orleans laid to rest here. For example the tomb of Blessed Mother Henriette DeLille, who is a candidate for sainthood by the Catholic church, among others.

It was listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Politicians interred or entombed here:

* Pierre Soulé (1801-1870) - of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La. Born in France, August 28, 1801. Member of Louisiana state senate, 1845; U.S. Senator from Louisiana, 1847, 1849-53; U.S. Minister to Spain, 1853-55; general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Died in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La., March 26, 1870.
* Charles Genois (c.1793-1866) - of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La. Whig Mayor of New Orleans, La., 1838-40. Died August 30, 1866.
* Robert Brown Elliott (1842-1884) - also known as R. B. Elliott - of South Carolina. Born in Massachusetts, 1842. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1868 (alternate), 1880; member of South Carolina state legislature; U.S. Representative from South Carolina 3rd District, 1871-75. Black. Died in 1884.
* Paul Capdevielle (1844-1922) - of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La. Born in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La., 1844. Mayor of New Orleans, La., 1900-04. Died in Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Miss., 1922.
* Carleton Hunt (1836-1921) - of Louisiana. Born in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La., January 1, 1836. Nephew of Theodore Gaillard Hunt. Democrat. Served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; U.S. Representative from Louisiana 1st District, 1883-85. Died August 14, 1921.
* Dominique You: Privateer.

In heavily Catholic New Orleans, All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2) have been observed for centuries through rituals celebrating life over death.

During the Yellow Fever epidemics in eighteenth century New Orleans, death always loomed close. It's presence left the lasting impression on this city and its inhabitants that life is a gift, perhaps fleeting, and should be enjoyed to its fullest each day. And so, on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, New Orleanians honor the lives of their dead loved ones by painting tombs with brilliant whitewashes, placing yellow chrysanthemums and red coxcombs on graves and ringing statuary with immortelles (wreaths of black glass beads). On these days, cemeteries throughout the city are alive with the flickering glow from fields of candles, as death is forgotten and lives lived are celebrated.

In old New Orleans, the celebration of All Saints' Day would begin with Mass and end with a Thanksgiving-like picnic at the family plot. Nowadays, graveside parties are a less popular event. People are more likely to attend a church service followed by a Rosary Walk, where individual tombs are blessed by a priest.






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You can learn more about the New Orleans area's beautiful cemeteries by visiting Save Our Cemeteries This is a great organization dedicated to preserving our historic cemeteries.






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