Important Research and Analysis of St. Louis Cemetery No.1 Aided by a Save America’s Treasures Grant
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Year of Award: 2001
Federal Amount: $150,000
Matching Amount: $150,000
A New Cemetery
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is perhaps the most famous cemetery in New Orleans. It was established in1789 after an epidemic and a great fire, both of which occurred in 1788. These two events completely filled the St. Peter Street Cemetery that was located at the edge of the city and within the city ramparts. Fear of spreading disease by burying the dead inside the city walls among its living population caused a law to be passed declaring that a new cemetery be created outside the city walls. This new 300-square-foot cemetery, now St. Louis Cemetery No.1, is located north of the city and is bordered by Basin, Conti, Treme, and St. Louis streets. St. Peter Street Cemetery closed in 1800.
Owned by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 30, 1975. The cemetery, one of very few on the National Register, is managed by The New Orleans Archdiocesan Cemeteries. Important Phase I and Phase II plans were developed for short-term damage abatement and long-term care of the cemetery. A 2001 Save America’s Treasures grant assisted with the Phase II implementation plan resulting in the conservation, restoration/preservation, and renovation of a series of the cemetery’s tombs.
Burial Practices and Tombstone Care
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the site of approximately 700 tombs, markers, and tomb ruins. These tombs are owned by families, societies, and individuals. Most of the sites are aboveground and are meant to host multiple burials. Although only one square block in size, the cemetery serves as the resting place for thousands because of this seemingly unusual tradition, but a common practice for the Spanish and French, many of whom settled in New Orleans. Notable and wealthy citizens are buried here including the first mayor of New Orleans and sugar industry pioneer Etienne de Bore, the first New Orleans African-American mayor Ernest N. “Dutch” Morial, and Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. Traditionally, every year on All Saints Day, relatives and family members cared for their family tombs by repairing, cleaning, and limewashing the structures. This practice ensured that the tombs and surrounding landscape received annual care and remained in good condition.
Of particular note, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, architect of the U.S. Capitol, engineer, and designer of the recognizable cenotaphs he created for Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC, is buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. He died in New Orleans of yellow fever in 1820 while conducting an engineering project for the New Orleans waterworks. His youngest son, H.B. Latrobe, painted a detailed watercolor of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in 1834, and provided written descriptions of the burial process and materials used. These historical documents aided in the study, research of materials, and detailed paint analysis required for the accurate short and long-term stabilization and care of the tomb exteriors.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Declines
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 became the major burial site for New Orleans from 1789-1823. A growing population and continued cholera and yellow fever epidemics resulted in the overcrowding of this cemetery by the early 1820’s. As a result, the opening and consecration of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 occurred in 1823. Although interments continued in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 because of the ability to expand the vaults upwards allowing multiple burials in a family vault, other cemeteries became more fashionable and desirable. By the late nineteenth century, interment in St. Louis Cemetery No.1 decreased, also resulting in less visitation, and most importantly, annual family care. Over time, many tombs deteriorated badly due to lack of upkeep, weather conditions, and vandalism. By the late twentieth century, the overall poor condition of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was dramatic. Many organizations and private citizens recognized that action was necessary if this historic cemetery was to be saved for posterity.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Revives
By 2002, collaborations and partnerships developed that resulted in a two- part plan that launched a full-scale program to address immediate, short-term emergency care, as well as long-term continuous care and maintenance of St. Louis Cemetery No.1’s tombscape. The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Fine Arts Departments of Historic Preservation and Landscape Architecture, and Tulane’s University’s School of Architecture/Preservation Studies worked with Save Our Cemeteries, Inc. and the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans to develop and implement the plan.
Phase 1 of the plan resulted in historical analysis and accurate documentation of the tombs in the cemetery funded by state, local, and private funds. Historical documents including surveys, drawings, plans, maps, paintings, watercolors, family histories, and photographs played a role in establishing the background which technologically mapped the site. Included in this process was a historical timeline that depicted changes in the boundaries of the cemetery and its landscape, pathways, and tomb construction over time. During this phase, a written document, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Guidelines for Preservation & Restoration was created to guide the Phase 2 work and to establish long-term future and continued care for the cemetery.
During Phase 2, the $150,000 Save America’s Treasures grant supported microscopic study of historic limewash colors for Alley 9-L, located in the northwest quadrant of the cemetery. This study showed that very vivid historic colors including white, tan, terracotta, gray, and yellow were originally applied to many tomb exteriors. Eleven separate colors were identified, with many of the tombs covered in specialized and exclusive colored limewash. The Save America’s Treasures grant also funded the large-scale treatment and restoration of the tombs located in Alley 9-L. Now complete, Alley 9-L, with historically accurate limewash finishes reapplied to its tombs, provides visitors to this part of the cemetery with a portrayal of how St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 looked in the early to mid-19th century. With the assistance of this Save America’s Treasures grant, efforts to restore St. Louis Cemetery No.1 continue, demonstrating that cemeteries nationwide provide a window into our nation’s past and emphasize the value that these sites contribute to America’s heritage historically, culturally, architecturally, genealogically, and socially.
Featured photo courtesy of Tim Wilson.
