![]() And so room is made for a new casket, and the exterior is closed up once again. Everyone eventually lies jumbled together to continue their quest to a dusty family reunion. In some tombs, that shelf has a gap toward the back, and the remnants just get pushed back, where they fall through the gap to the vault below. Whatever’s left of the first one is moved to the bottom level, and the casket bits are removed. After a year and a day (by custom and rule-to accommodate the traditional year-long mourning period), another family member may be buried here. Heat and humidity act like a slow form of cremation. When a casket goes in, it rests on the top shelf, and the vault is re-sealed with simple brick and mortar. Inside the tomb are long chambers, one above the other, separated by shelves. The methodology is actually fairly clever. all that tomb for one dead guy? Not so much. ![]() The cemeteries may also have fancy ironwork in the gates and fences-and on the whole are well worth a visit. These were helpful for families who could not afford a family tomb. These were decorated thusly: Witness the enormous elk visible from the corner of Canal Street and City Park Avenue. Some tombs were not owned by families, but by a group, like the firefighters, police, or a benevolent society. ![]() The aboveground vaults are also often adorned with stunning works of sculptural art, decorations that represent the family name, occupation, or religion (which was invariably Catholic the first Jewish cemetery was not founded until 1828). Perhaps it’s just because they are such an impressive, prestigious sight. 1 was inspired by the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. But they are actually customary in France and Spain (and elsewhere), so it was just another tradition that the colonists brought with them to New Orleans. It’s true that the high water table and muddy soil here influenced the popularity of the aboveground “condo crypt” look-the dead are placed in vaults that look like miniature buildings. 1 to form designated “streets” in a grid pattern. When it filled up, others soon followed, improving on the haphazard layout of St. The first major city of the dead, with fancy tombs and a parklike setting, provided a more fitting tribute to departed loved ones. 1 came about, in 1789 on what is now Rampart Street. Peter, was begun in 1725 by the Catholic Diocese, and rests where a Superdome parking lot now sits. When new cemeteries became necessary, they were plotted on the outskirts of town where illness and odor were less likely to be troublesome. Well, death was getting to be more prevalent, what with fires and yellow-fever epidemics and such honoring death and the dead was indeed getting to be a bigger, more ceremonial deal. Given that the cemetery of the time was inside the Vieux Carré, it’s all pretty disgusting to think about.Īround the late 1780s, death was getting to be a bigger deal. ![]() This practice gave rise to some good stories (though experts debate their veracity) of coffins floating downriver, bodies weighted down with rocks, and holes drilled in caskets to let the water through and prevent them from popping up from the ground like deathly balloons.Īdd to that cholera and yellow-fever epidemics, which helped increase the number of bodies and also the possibility of infection. Old Uncle Etienne had an unpleasant habit of bobbing back to the surface, doubtless no longer looking his best. But when the river rose or a major rain caused minor flooding, that didn’t work out too well. For the earliest settlers, dying wasn’t that big of a deal, everyone was doing it, and the dead were buried in common graves or along the riverbanks (except the hoitiest of the toity, who were buried at St. ![]() Sometimes called “Cities of the Dead” for their resemblance to urban centers, the cemeteries have of course been a part of New Orleans nearly since its founding. But the truth is so fascinating that it needs little embellishment. Iconic tourist attractions as much as Jackson Square or Bourbon Street, the cemeteries have a fascinating backstory-one that has become twisted over time by mythology. There are 45 cemeteries in New Orleans-31 are considered historic, and 5 are officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Recognized the world over for their elaborate and beautiful aboveground tombs, their ghostly and inscrutable presence enthralls visitors. Along with Spanish moss and cast-iron balconies, the cities of the dead are part of the indelible landscape of New Orleans. ![]()
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