St. Louis Cemetery #1

Jul 9

Cities of the Dead

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

St. Louis Cemetery #1, New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a city unlike any other. Culturally diverse and filled with notorious hauntings within the city is a taphophilia dream ground. Complete with a museum of death. The cities grasp on drawing visitors with its rich history and architecture appearing as a European getaway in the south is unmatched in America. Yet as you take in the city floating to enigmatic sounds of live jazz, it is notorious past quickly catches up to you New Orleans also has something extremely unique as well, above ground graveyards tucked into the city with haunted happens and tales to spook any soul. St. Louis Cemetery #1 is just one of the few but arguable the most haunted within the city and in the country. Going back into the city's past to its Spanish ruled days the cemetery was officially started by royal decree on August 14th, 1789. It holds over 700 tombs with well over 100,000 souls to rest and still has interments to this day. The tombs have nonsensical layouts of plots with no forethought of design making it a labyrinth to visitor's visiting. Yet it adds to the allure of the grounds and even Hollywood's finest find themselves drawn to film within. It is necessary to book a tour with one of the many offered in town to the get the most out of a visit and to enter lawfully. Sadly, after vandalism of the tombs a few years ago the cemetery now locks its gates and entry alone unless visiting a relative is not permitted. I also confess it is one of my favorite cemeteries I have had the honor of visiting so if this episode feels like a bit of favoritism to St. Louis Cemetery #1 it is there. Ironically, St Peter's Cemetery was the first cemetery within the city but is no longer in an existence. The city was hit with an epidemic and two fires rapidly causing the need for more burial space and farther away from city to curb the spread of disease. St. Louis Cemetery #1 was then quickly established and immediately began interments as a temporary situation of 300sq feet (about the area of a parking space) but then turned into a permanent one growing over the years. The burials first began in-ground but after royal decree in 1803 a city ordinance was issued mandating that all forms of interment occur above ground to deal with the below sea level ground of the cemetery and the constant threat of flooding. The above ground style burials were a tradition of memorial architecture that the descents inherited from their ancestors from France and Spain. That was seen as a helpful solution to burials. In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase saw New Orleans population dramatically shift. Americans flooded the city along with the Haitian Revolution ending in 1804 that also saw refugee's seeking a new life in the city. The mashing of faith and cultures created the diverse beautiful city we see today and saw the cemetery change to accommodate the other religions. A Protestant space was allotted in the back along with African Americans and people of color. Many of the Protestant faith were relocated by 1838 to Girod Street Cemetery with now only a small section remaining today. The Board of Church Wardens of the St. Louis Cathedral in 1847 agreed to relinquish a portion of the cemetery bordering St. Louis Street to the First Municipality of the City of New Orleans so that improvements could be made in that area. Between 1847 and 1852 the remains of those interred within that portion of the cemetery were relocated to newly built vaults on Basin and Conti Streets as well as to private family tombs. The cemetery saw the boundaries of the cemetery again shrink in the early nineteenth century when the Treme neighborhood of the city saw growth. St. Louis Cemetery #1 saw its grounds cut in half and then also worsen in 1897. The establishment of Storyville also saw the city's red-light district develop with the cemetery right within the sixteen-block ring. Taking the wealthy away to look for burial grounds and leading to the neglect of cemetery. The cemetery has a few traditional tombs styles within that visitors will commonly see. Family tombs are the most common on the grounds. Following the style of the French and Spanish graves tombs were aboveground in Southern Mediterranean coastal regions. The geographic locations with rocky soil made digging graves difficult and constructing tombs or mausoleums more ideal. It was common for those among the Roman Catholic faith to erect the tombs as memorials to those past. Tombs do not appear large but hold entire family generation within the small space. A cardinal ruling for "one year and a day" allows only one family member to be interred in the tomb during that span of time. If multiple people of the same family pass away within that ruling, the second family member will be then placed inside of a separate temporary tomb. The cemetery also does not have walls as they appear to the eye but wall vaults. For those who could not afford tombs or found more humble burials, the walls of St. Louis #1 are filled with souls or receiving crypts. Often, generations of families were interred in one single wall vault. Unlike other receiving crypts in cemeteries New Orleans used the wall vaults to inter those past when one or more family pasted during a year to adhere to the cardinal rule. Then finally being placed in the family tomb when the time was right. However, the wall vaults were also then used for those less fortunate. During disease epidemics like yellow fever, however, the dead numbered in the thousands and these wall vaults became preciously valuable as space was incredibly limited. Society tombs are then seen by the merging of family tombs and wall vaults. Formed of multiple families and individuals within of various organization like religious groups, benevolent societies, clubs, law enforcement or fraternal societies. Many of the society tombs within are the French Mutual Benevolent Society, the New Orleans Musicians Tomb, and the Orleans Battalion of Artillery Tomb. These style tombs offered families that unable to afford their own tombs cheaper options. The last but rarer grave is the "copings" graves which are raised a few feet off the ground and have retaining walls made of marble or granite to pack in soil. These graves were common in the Eastern Mediterranean regions for those who practiced Judaism, Protestantism, and Islam. Which is why they are on the rarer side as many within St. Louis #1 are of Roman Catholic faith. Many are easily found by the cast-iron fencing each grave is enclosed in. The residents of this famed and notoriously haunted cemetery are a unique and even more diverse group that fit the mold of New Orleans. It is hard not to go first with the most famous first Marie Laveau the Voodoo Queen. Most visitors seeking St. Louis Cemetery #1 are there to pay their respects to Marie Laveau or seek assistance from the late Priestess. She was a dedicated practitioner of Voodoo, healer, herbalist, and entrepreneur. Born a woman of free color in New Orleans Louisiana in 1801 during Spanish rule right before the restoration of the French Leadership. Her mother was also a free woman of color of African, European, and Native American ancestry. Interestingly her father is debated to be either a free man or color or Charles Laveau, the son of Charles Laveau Trudeau, a white Louisiana creole and politician both baring the same name but with different spellings. The spellings inconsistency in records make it hard to be sure and her baptismal records have no father listed which is why it is still a mystery. Laveau married once her in life to Jacques Paris till 1823. He disappeared from New Orleans records but was thought to pass away in Baton Rouge. The daughter Félicité's baptismal records from New Orleans in 1824 referred to Laveau as "the window Paris" Both children tragically passed away in childhood. She was known to care for the sick in her community during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 by providing herbal remedies and prayers for the afflicted. Her other community activities included visiting prisoners, providing lessons to the women of the community, and doing rituals for those in need without charge. She then quickly after her husband's passing entered a domestic partnership with Christophe Dominick Duminy de Glapion, a nobleman of French descent, with whom she lived until his death in 1855. They had 15 children together with only two surviving into adulthood. Laveau also was rumored to have owned at least seven slaves in her lifetime. She first started out as a beautician to New Orlean's elite and wealthy. She used her profession by listening to the ladies' gossip, or from their servants whom she either paid or cured of mysterious ailments. Also making money by selling gris gris charms to help wishes come true, offer clairvoyance and practical advice in Voodoo consultations. She was the third female leader in Voodoo in New Orleans known as a "queen" or priestess. Voodoo practitioners and customers often appealed to Laveau for help with family disputes, health, finances, and more. Laveau performed her services in three main places: her own home on St. Ann Street, within Congo Square, and at Lake Pontchartrain.

Marie's influence was extremely strong but sadly after her passing it's said the practice lost many followers. Her death was also widely disputed due to other women also named Marie Catherine Laveau Paris Glapion at the time of her death. Conflicting the records of either being June 15 or 17th. The Daily Picayune announced on June 17th that Marie Laveau had died peacefully in her home. Newspaper's as far as Nebraska to Virginia reported her death and even the New York Times. Describing her as "woman of great beauty, intellect, and charisma who was also pious, charitable, and a skilled herbal healer." Her funeral was extremely lavish and attended by many in the community from diverse backgrounds ranging from the poor to the elite. However, days after her passing numerous accounts were told of people seeing Marie walking around town. Legend has it that one of her daughters looks exactly like Marie and in French Catholic tradition was named Marie as well. Leading to eyewitnesses seeing Marie but it in fact was her daughter. It is believed her daughter Marie followed her carrying on her magical practice, taking over as the queen soon before or after the first Marie's death. Other accounts say one of her disciples Malvina Latour however took over reported to have been her successor. Marie Laveau is said to be buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in St. Louis Cemetery #1. Yet was disputed by a journalist Robert Tallant later who used her as a muse for a character in his historical novels. Tourists looking for Laveau's help even in death draw X marks on her tomb, turn around three times, knock on the tomb, yell out their wish, and if it was granted, come back, circle their X, and leave Laveau an offering. Marie is said to be seen wandering the cemetery and nearby French Quarter in red and white turban tucked around her hair, and by the brilliantly colored clothes she wears. Yet if you do see her, you might not want to follow because if you do, she vanishes right from sight. When seen within the cemetery grounds she walks through the tombs and claims exist of people not experiencing a friendly spirit either. She had said to scratch, pinch or shoved visitors down to the ground who disregard her beliefs or religion. Others also report feelings of being touched, becoming unexplainably ill, and hearing voices emanating from inside the tomb. The Misfits in 1982 after playing a concert New Orleans were accused of attempting to exhume Laveau from her grave, being arrested later in the evening. The arrest however happened in St. Louis Cemetery #2 and the accounts of the story are not exactly solid and have many conflicts to be truthful. In 2013 her tomb was vandalized by an unknown person on December 17, 2013, by being painted over with pink latex paint. This led to the tomb needing restoration and in 2015 the cemetery was closed to public access. A change was made by the Archdiocese of New Orleans to protect the tombs of the Laveau family as well as those of the many other dead interred there. Marie has been written into legend by numerous songs, books, a musical and a local legend in New Orleans. No matter how long ago of her passing Marie Laveau will remain a New Orleans legend that will live on in infamy and still roam her beloved city for years to come if you believe in ghosts. It is hard to move on from Marie after such a beautiful, intriguing woman to then talk about a both loved and hated rich man of New Orleans so call elite society. Yet within St. Louis Cemetery also resides Bernard de Marigny. He was born 1785 into New Orleans' wealthiest family and inherited the entire family fortune by the age of 15. Leading to rumors that he squandered every penny bequeathed to him on gambling, excess materialistic items, and bad business deals. Despite these rumors he proved to be one of the most influential men during the early nineteenth century. He was solely responsible for maintaining the French language within government and school systems after The Louisiana Purchase in 1803; he participated in the drafting of the first state constitution after statehood was achieved in 1812; and he also supported illegitimate children earning the same rights as their legitimate other halves in the eyes of the law. Today, the Faubourg Marigny, nestled next to the French Quarter, is a quaint neighborhood with brightly painted houses; it is only because Bernard chose to subdivide his plantation and sell to the French Creoles (as opposed to the Americans) that the charming version of the Marigny as we know it exists today. Weirdly enough most know him form bringing the game of hazards to America after he was schooled in England as an adolescent. Bernard was known to play the dice game with his friends, squatting low on his haunches as it was done in England. Americans in New Orleans nicknamed he and his friends calling them crapauds, or "frogs" in French. The game is modernly known today as craps. Previously mentioned briefly New Orleans had two great fires in the city one in 1788 saw the need for architects and surveyors. Barthelemy Lafon originally from France saw many opportunities. He assisted in restoring the city working on Presbytere and the Cabildo. The after another great fire in 1794 the jail. He was responsible for the idea of subdividing the Delord-Sarpy Plantation north of the French Quarter. He was known for his European designs incorporating French and continental elements into his work when he set upon designing the area that is today part of the Central Business District and the Lower Garden District, including Lee Circle. Helping with the city's first almanac and the city development. Lafon was also however known to be involved with pirates owning a Spanish schooner the Carmelita. Which was captured by pirates or robbers of the high seas damaging his reputation. During the 1820 yellow fever epidemic he sadly met his grim fate but all the lawsuits against him took a while to dimmish. Leaving a large stain on his reputation even after passing. An also particularly important resident within the Cities of the Dead is Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial. Morial was the city's first African American mayor in 1978 and the first to receive a law degree from Louisiana State University. Regardless of the Emancipation Proclamation legally abolishing slavery in 1863, New Orleans experienced many decades in which equality for African Americans remained suppressed. Morial fought for equality in the courtroom and within the state by becoming part of the state legislature. He was the first African American to be voted into the Louisiana Fourth Circuit of Appeal in 1974. After two terms in the mayoral seat, Dutch Morial had hoped for a subsequent third but was disallowed because of law policies. He not only increased the employment rate in the city, but he also raised the number of black police officers to one-third of the force's population. The city's convention center is named after him. Morial was originally buried in the family tomb directly next to Marie Laveau, but in 2014 his family has re-interred his body to a new tomb in St. Louis Cemetery #3 in 2014. The final resident we will be mentioning for St. Louis Cemetery #1 is not even a permanent resident yet. Nicolas Cage. The actor is still alive and well today but commissioned a tomb to be constructed within the famed burial site. Cage's tale with New Orleans is a sad one due to his financial downfall leading to bankruptcy in 2009. He lost the LaLaurie Mansion and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel but still had the 9ft pyramid shaped tomb built. Some say the tomb appears in his movie "National Treasure" and that he wants to be near the powerful Marie Laveau at his “after party” as a buffer against potential repercussions from his owning the LaLaurie Mansion. Stories are said Cage was not reported explained to that the mansion he purchased was haunted and the horrors that ensued there back in the day. Other theories are Cage is immortal and must occasionally return to the tomb to regenerate. Further encouraged after a Civil War era photo was discovered looking exactly like the actor. The only engraving in the stucco and brick is omnia ab uno meaning "all for one" or "everything for one."

Nicholas Cage’s Tomb in St. Louis Cemetery #1

No one is quite sure about the meaning but Cage himself and a very tale oddity among the traditional tombs that is unmissable on tours. But who else other than Marie walks the labyrinth of St. Louis #1? A tragic yet sorted tale of Henry Vignes is another restless soul seen more than a few times within. Henry was a sailor who did not really have a home but stayed in a local boarding house in New Orleans. He was also worried about passing away on voyages and asked the owner of the boarding house to keep his personal documents just in case. The sensitive documents also included the rights to his family tomb. While away the boarding house owner sold Vignes family tomb, and he was never able to recovery the tomb or financially recover. He then shortly died after turning ill without a plot and was buried in an unmarked grave in the pauper's section of St. Louis Cemetery #1. Henry is said to haunt the cemetery speaking to visitors asking where the Vignes family tomb is located. Even being said attended funerals, appearing behind the grieving to ask if there might be any more room in the tomb for him. He is said to be tall with blue eyes and has been caught on camera and EVP's saying, "I need to rest!" But none sadly has come yet for poor Henry. Another sad but odd haunting tale is the lost ghost of Alphonse. Similar to the tale of Henry his soul seems unable to find his eternal rest. He is said to appear to visitors taking their hand pulling them to a stop. Then asking they bring him home with a smile. It is believed poor Alphonse was murdered or betrayed by someone in the Pinead family. Visitor report when going near the Pinead tomb he also warns them away. He moves flowers left at other graves to his own and alternates between smiling and crying. Alphonse home remains unknown but maybe one day he will find the way with help by the guiding hand of a visitor. If you visit New Orleans before heading to the cemetery, make sure you have a way home after. Cab's notoriously do not pick up visitors outside its gates. This all started back in the 1930's when a young woman in white was picked up by a taxicab outside the gates. She then asked the driver to take her to a house in Marigny and instructed the driver to ask the man of the house to come out. The driver obliged but when the man heard the driver's story of why he was at his door he replied, "not again". Explaining to the driver then that his wife died years ago buried in her white wedding dress and every now and then attempted to visitor her husband. Sure, enough when the driver went to confront the woman she was nowhere to be found. Causing cabs to stop picking up visitors outside the gates. New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries is currently working on securing that significance through our Abandoned Tomb Initiative that restores tombs in accordance with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation Projects as outlined by the National Park Service. The initiative is funded through tourism revenue and support from individual and corporate donors. Mark Twain famously gave the nickname the Cities of the Dead to St. Louis Cemetery, and it is stuck ever since. However, the city's culture of celebration of death gives visitors pause to really consider if the locals care or not that ghosts find themselves among the living. Uniquely a vastly unique way to mourn to most American's the sight of a second line in the city might cause wonderment to those unversed in the city's ways. Starting out mourning in grief the parade progresses to a joyful remembrance. Parading through the streets to the honorees grave as family members bear the burden of death not alone but with each other and their community. That is truly the reason the ghosts have yet to lay to rest. Their remembrance is celebrated and loved with not just tears but a love language in music beyond the grave. Leaving the soul restless for more whenever a heartfelt song passionately played on its streets.

St. Louis Cemetery #1

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