The early French colonists who settled New Orleans in 1718 had a problem: how to dispose of people who died. Every time they dug a grave in the flat areas around town it filled with water. Their first solution was to look for higher ground and they found it on the natural levees of the Mississippi River. As the town grew they realized that they couldn’t go on with that plan, so in 1721 they created a cemetery on St. Peter St. This cemetery was in a flat wet place, so they dug ditches to help drain the area. They also piled up the earth from the ditches to raise the level of the actual burial ground. By 1788 this cemetery was full and the town had grown close to it, so at the urging of local physicians who considered it a health hazard, it was closed and below ground burials ended.

In 1789 a new cemetery on Basin Street was consecrated by the Catholic Church and is still occasionally used. As the city grew it became necessary to create a new burial ground further away from the settled area and in 1823 this was done. By 1854, another was established even further away from the growing city of New Orleans. All three are known respectively as St. Louis Cemeteries Numbers 1, 2, and 3.

The three cemeteries were created in flat swampy areas where water in the soil was close to the surface. So, how was it possible to inter the dead under these conditions? The solution to the problem was practical and effective. The dead were buried above ground. An early account explains it this way “the coffin is laid upon the surface of the ground and a strong structure of brick is built around it”. These small tombs were constructed of local brick and were plastered and whitewashed to better withstand the elements. There is no rock in the New Orleans area so marble slabs for recording the names of the inhabitants of the tombs had to be imported.

These single tombs were used for multiple burials, not at the same time, however. This is a local custom, which requires a space in the tomb somewhat larger than the average casket. If the tomb is needed, the remains of the previous occupant are pushed to the rear to make room for the new one. If the casket has not decomposed, it is removed and burned, but its contents are kept in the tomb. A common variation is a two-chamber tomb in which the most recent interment is in the upper chamber. The former tenant’s remains are then placed in the lower chamber or pit. Such tombs are economical and practical and may carry the remains of several generations.

A typical New Orleans cemetery contains a variety of tombs of differing sizes. Some of the larger and more decorated ones belong to the various benevolent associations. Frequently, these are organizations reflecting the national origins of the members such as the French Society, the Italian Mutual Benevolent Society, the Cervantes Mutual Benevolent Society [Spanish] or the Portuguese Benevolent Association. The members of mutual benefit associations were usually immigrants to the city having no family connections. During their working lives they paid in to the society to insure a final resting -place.

As time has passed and New Orleans has grown and prospered, the materials used in tomb construction have changed. The newer cemeteries have tombs made from stone imported from other parts of the United States. The tombs frequently have sculptures and are more elaborate and larger than the simple brick structures of the early days. The newer cemeteries are laid out with regular streets and divided into blocks. On first seeing one of them the impression of looking at a miniature city is very strong. It is for this reason that they are referred to as “cities of the dead”. In part, these “cities” have perimeter walls although they are not entirely surrounded by them. The walls are divided into individual vaults, providing yet another method of above ground interment.

The cemeteries of New Orleans are picturesque with their tombs and ironwork fences and gates. European influences can be seen in the older burial grounds. The wall vaults appear to have been introduced from Spain, while many of the tombs designed by J.N.B.De Pouilly, who came to New Orleans in the 1830’s, show the influence of the Pere La Chaise cemetery in Paris. The overall appearance, however, is distinctly New Orleans and very different from the usual American burial grounds with their green lawns and tombstones.

Today there are more than forty cemeteries in the New Orleans area belonging to Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish denominations. Also there are burial grounds entirely devoted to fraternal organizations, such as the Odd Fellows and Masons. Most of these cemeteries were established in the 1800’s when the city was growing fast and suffering a series of yellow fever epidemics. Mosquito control has solved the yellow fever problem and these days the death rate has slowed down.

People come to New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras, jazz, and the French Quarter. The cemeteries are worth a visit and many city tours are available to see them. It is best to visit one of these in the company of a group rather than alone. Those near the old French Quarter have been the locations of robberies and muggings. Visitors are advised that the safest time, if going alone is the middle of the day, and those cemeteries at the top of Canal Street are pretty safe. Another safe way to see some of the newer burial grounds is to drive through. In any case, no visit to New Orleans is complete without seeing a “city of the dead”.