Cities of the Dead
Shanna Riley March 30th, 2007
New Orleans - and the outlying areas - have some of the most arresting cemeteries in the world. The need for above-ground burial, due to the city being below sea level, has created a unique metropolitan feel to its cemeteries; which are mazes of tall and hulking tombs resembling small buildings clustered together.
A visit to New Orleans is a must for any cemetery-lover. Though I have been blessed with being born in southern Louisiana, and am only a mere hour's drive from the Crescent City, I have yet to visit the famed St. Louis cemeteries - one of which holds the remains of New Orleans' great Voodoo queen, Marie Laveau. The truth is, these cemeteries are not safe to visit alone but should be attended by a fairly large group; a caution that holds even more true in post-Katrina New Orleans.
I've had the honor, though, of visiting the lovely Lafayette #1 Cemetery, on Prytania Street. It was the first cemetery in what is now the Garden District area of New Orleans, and was established on a parcel of land once belonging to Livaudais Plantation in 1833. As well as housing some of New Orleans' earliest families, it is also said to have been the site of mass burial of victims of the 1853 yellow fever epidemic. Tales are told of the walls surrounding the cemetery being filled with bodies of the fever's victims; as they were dying by the hundreds daily, there was no time for proper burials.
One of my favorite cemeteries is actually outside of New Orleans - the Metairie Cemetery, as it stretches along Interstate-10, gives full meaning to the term "city of the dead".
It consists of miles of burial grounds filled with large, beautiful tombs and private mausoleums. In December of 1991, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its unique history, beautiful grounds and tombs, and for being the burial site of many famous persons. Taking a drive through it is nothing short of awe-inspiring...whether you are viewing the "haunted" tomb of Josie Arlington or the infamous pyramid tomb of the Brunswig family.
If you have not had the chance to experience New Orleans and Metairie's infamous cemeteries, then I highly suggest a trip down South. You won't be disappointed.
Also, if you have an interest in helping preserve New Orleans' great cemeteries - especially after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina - I urge you to visit and donate to Save Our Cemeteries, Inc.; a wonderful organization dedicated to doing just that.
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