New Orleans Architecture: The Cemeteries

Quite possibly the most comprehensive architectural examination of any American city. -Landscape Architecture Magazine The tourist who does not visit at least one of the old cemeteries just a few blocks from the French Quarter misses an inimitable experience in sepulchral urban design. -St. Louis Post-DispatchIn New Orleans, cemeteries are known as cities of the dead. Because the city is located below sea level, buried coffins will not stay underground. As a result, residents bury their dead in above-ground tombs and vaults, forming the buildings of these cities within the city. New Orleans families, organizations, and benevolent societies build lasting monuments, from the simple to the ornate, to their loved ones. Many of the more lavish monuments are known throughout the city as landmarks. Like all New Orleans architecture, the cemeteries capture the unique character of the Crescent City.More than twenty-five years have passed since the publication of the first volume of the New Orleans Architecture series. Pelican and the Friends of the Cabildo remain committed to recording and preserving the unique architecture of New Orleans, having published a total of eight volumes on the subject. The New Orleans Architecture Series consists of Volume I: The Lower Garden District ; Volume II: The American Sector; Volume III: The Cemeteries; Volume IV: The Creole Faubourgs; Volume V: The Esplanade Ridge; Volume VI: Faubourg Treme and the Bayou Road; Volume VII: Jefferson City; and Volume VIII: The University Section, all available from Pelican.