- Saint Louis Cemetery
"Saint Louis Cemetery" is the name of three
Roman Catholic cemeteries inNew Orleans, Louisiana .The burials are in above ground vaults; most were constructed in the 18th century and 19th century. The above-ground
tomb s, which some say are required here because theground water levels makeburial impractical in New Orleans, are strongly reminiscent of the tombs ofPère Lachaise cemetery inParis . Although the three cemeteries were flooded followingHurricane Katrina in 2005, they did not suffer much damage.Doug Keister, author/photographer of "Going Out in Style: The Architecture of Eternity" states that
The custom of above-ground burial in New Orleans is a mixture of folklore and fact.
[http://www.experienceneworleans.com/deadcity1.html]The vaults are in fact more due to French and Spanish tradition than they are to water table problems. [http://www.tripsmarter.com/neworleans/archives/cemeteries.htm]
Cemeteries #1 and #2 are included on the
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail .aint Louis #1
St. Louis Cemetery #1 is the oldest and most famous. It was opened in 1789, replacing the city's older St. Peter Cemetery (no longer in existence) as the main burial ground when the city was redesigned after a fire in 1788.
It is 8 blocks from the
Mississippi River , on the north side ofBasin Street , one block beyond the inland border of theFrench Quarter . It borders the Ibervillehousing project that was built over what was formerlyStoryville . It has been in continuous use since its foundation. Due tocrime risks, it is inadvisable for individual tourists to visit the cemetery on their own, but it can be safely visited with tour groups. The nonprofit group Save Our Cemeteries and various commercial businesses offer tours for a fee.Famous New Orleanians buried in St. Louis #1 include
Etienne de Boré - wealthy pioneer of the sugar industry and the first mayor of New Orleans,Homer Plessy - the plaintiff from the landmark 1896Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision on civil rights, and Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial - the first African-American Mayor of New Orleans.The renown Voodoo priestess
Marie Laveau is believed to be interred in the Glapion family crypt. Other notable New Orleanians here includeBernard de Marigny - the French-Creole playboy who brought the game ofcraps to the United States,Barthelemy Lafon - the architect and surveyor who allegedly became one of Jean Lafitte's pirates, andPaul Morphy , one of the earliest world champions of chess. [cite web|title=Tour the Historic New Orleans Cemeteries|url=http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/tours/main.htm|accessdate=2006-02-17]aint Louis #2
St. Louis #2 is located some 3 blocks back from St. Louis #1, bordering
Claiborne Avenue . It was consecrated in 1823. A number of notablejazz andrhythm & blues musicians are buried here, includingDanny Barker andErnie K. Doe . Also entombed here isDominique You , a notoriouspirate who assisted in the defense of the city against the British in theBattle of New Orleans .Andre Cailloux , African-American hero of theAmerican 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 forsainthood 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.aint Louis #3
St. Louis #3 is located some 2 miles back from the French Quarter, some 30 blocks from the Mississippi, fronting Esplanade Avenue near
Bayou St. John . It opened in 1854. Thecrypt s on average are more elaborate than at the other St. Louis cemeteries, including a number of fine 19th centurymarble tombs. Those entombed includeragtime composerPaul Sarebresole and photographerE. J. Bellocq .St. Louis #3 also includes a Greek Orthodox section. The cemetery was heavily flooded during the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but its tombs escaped relatively unscathed. There was some plaster damage from debris.References
ee also
*
List of United States cemeteries External Links
* [http://cml.upenn.edu/nola/SrchMappgs/L0Intrositemap_base.html Clickable map of St. Louis #1]
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