Cities of the Dead – New Orleans Cemeteries and Above Ground Tombs
Why use Above-Ground Tombs?
New Orleans has always respected its dead, but this isn’t the only reason that our departed loved ones are interred above ground. Early settlers in the area struggled with different methods. Burial plots are shallow in New Orleans because the water table is very high. Dig a few feet down, and the grave becomes soggy, filling with water. The early settlers tried placing stones in and on top of coffins to weigh them down and keep them underground. Unfortunately, after a rainstorm or an unpredictable flood, the rising water table can literally pop airtight coffins out of the ground.
Eventually, New Orleans’ graves were kept above ground, following the Spanish custom of using vaults. The walls of some cemeteries here are made of economical vaults stacked on top of one another, while wealthier families could afford the larger, ornate tombs with crypts. Many family tombs look like miniature houses, complete with iron fences. The rows of tombs resemble streets. This is why New Orleans burial plots quickly became known as Cities of the Dead.