St. Louis Cemetery No. 2: The Overlooked Masterpiece
St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 lives in the shadow of its more famous older sibling, Cemetery No. 1, but among cemetery scholars and architecture buffs, it is considered the more beautiful of the two. Established in 1823 when No. 1 reached capacity, this three-square-block cemetery in Tremé contains some of the most elaborate and architecturally significant tombs in the entire city—a collection of funerary art that rivals anything in Père Lachaise in Paris.
History
By the 1820s, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was running out of space. The city established No. 2 a few blocks farther from the French Quarter, along what is now North Claiborne Avenue in Tremé. The timing was significant—the 1820s through 1850s were the golden age of New Orleans, when the city was one of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan in the Americas. The families who built tombs in St. Louis No. 2 had money and taste, and they hired the best architects and builders to create monuments worthy of their status. The result is a cemetery that is as much an art gallery as a burial ground.
Architecture
The tombs of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 are widely considered the finest collection of funerary architecture in the city. Architect J.N.B. de Pouilly designed many of the most impressive structures, drawing on Egyptian Revival, Greek Revival, and Gothic influences. His work here represents some of the best funerary design in nineteenth-century America. The society tombs are particularly grand—massive structures built by the benevolent associations that played such a crucial role in New Orleans social life. The elaborate ironwork, carved marble, and decorative plasterwork on many tombs reflect the craftsmanship of a city that took its dead as seriously as its living.
Famous Residents
Dominique You, the pirate and privateer who fought alongside Jean Lafitte and Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, is buried here. His tomb was long one of the most visited in the cemetery. Oscar James Dunn, the first African-American lieutenant governor of any U.S. state, who served during Reconstruction, is interred here. Numerous prominent Creole families—the Tremoulets, the Monteguts, the Soulies—rest in ornate family tombs that reflect the wealth and sophistication of the free Creole community in antebellum New Orleans.
Challenges and Future
St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 has suffered from neglect and vandalism over the decades. Its location along Claiborne Avenue, beneath the shadow of the interstate overpass, has isolated it from the tourist traffic that helps protect Cemetery No. 1. Many tombs are in serious disrepair, with collapsed roofs, crumbling walls, and vegetation overtaking the structures. Restoration efforts are underway, but the scale of the work needed is enormous. For those willing to visit—ideally with a tour group for safety—St. Louis No. 2 offers a more intimate and architecturally rewarding experience than its more famous neighbor. It is the cemetery that architecture lovers whisper about.
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