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SITE HISTORY
AND DESCRIPTION
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, founded in 1789, is the oldest extant cemetery in New Orleans. Located at the corners of St. Louis and Basin streets, the cemetery is still the site of burials today, but in far fewer numbers than its suburban counterparts. Like the other Cities of the Dead in New Orleans, St. Louis No. 1 features above ground tombs that allow for multiple burials. Over 600 tombs are located inside its walls, with some of the city and region's notable historic and contemporary figures interred within.
Originally consisting of 300 square feet, St. Louis 1 changed frequently over time. The site developed haphazardly, as families bought spaces and constructed tombs. Some tombs have been neglected and have fallen into ruin, adding to the distinctive atmosphere, while others have been altered or restored. Burial spaces for non-Catholics were designated in the back of the cemetery. As the city developed, and began to encroach on the site, the cemetery began to grow smaller. In the early nineteenth century, canal construction led to the diminishment of the western half. In 1822, the Protestants were given their own cemetery, the Girod Street Cemetery in the Faubourg St. Mary, so that their section of the St. Louis 1 could be taken over for an extension of Tremé Street. By the late nineteenth century, Basin Street was expanded, and the site shrunk further, leaving it at its present size.
There are three major types of tombs found at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1: wall vaults, family tombs, and society tombs. The wall vaults, or oven vaults, allow for burials to take place within the walls of the cemetery themselves. Family tombs comprise the largest number of tombs within St. Louis No. 1. They come in a range of shapes and styles, from low-lying single vault brick tombs to more substantial tombs that are 3 vaults tall to tombs clad in ornately ornamented marble.
Society tombs are the largest and most dramatic tombs within the cemetery, and were constructed for various benevolent societies within New Orleans.
St. Louis No. 1 is currently owned and maintained by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. In 1975, it was listed on National Register of Historic Places, one of the few cemeteries to be recognized in such a manner. In 2001, the site was recognized as part of the Save America's Treasures program. Program Intro | Site History | Emergency Stabilization | Lacombe Tomb | Malard Tomb |
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