St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 at night

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 at night

by | Jun 4, 2025 | Faubourg St. John, St. Louis Number 3

Marco Rasi gives us another great photo of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

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st. louis cemetery no. 3

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3

Mr. Marco Rasi regularly shares his photography on social media. He uses a drone to get some great aerial shots. This photo of St. Louis No. 3 is no exception. The drone hovers over the Bayou St. John side of the cemetery, towards the back (closer to the Deutsches Haus than Esplanade Avenue. The dome of Our Lady of the Rosary Church hovers, background, right. The church stands half a block down Esplanade Ave. from the cemetery’s main entrance.

So, I’m going to hush for a moment so you can take in this gorgeous scene. Don’t continue until after you look at the image for a minute or two.

Nighttime

Night in one of our cities of the dead offers opportunities for contemplation, dreams, and stories. Unlike St. Louis No. 1, this cemetery’s layout is much more orderly. New Orleans required more burial grounds by the mid-19th century. So, the city council granted the Archdiocese of New Orleans a permit to build a cemetery at the bayou end of Esplanade Avenue.

They named the cemetery to honor St. Louis, King of France, just as its two predecessors (on Basin Street and three blocks back from Number 1, towards Claiborne). While the name indicates an affinity with the two Creole cemeteries, Number 3 reflects the ethnic diversity of New Orleans in the 1850s and post-rebellion. Most plots here are “double” tombs. There are larger, “society” tombs as well. Many of them are for Catholic religious orders. The archdiocese also maintains a mausoleum for the city’s priests. Additionally, the local Greek Orthodox community owns a mausoleum here for their loved ones.

Catholic racism

My family’s tomb is here in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. The deed for that double tomb includes a “race covenant” that specifies any futures cannot sell the tomb to Black folks. Of course, changes in the law invalidated that covenant, but it’s still a stark reminder of the desires of some residents.