New Louisiana registry maps 135 historic cemeteries across every parish

In October 2024, the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (LTHP) announced the launch of the Louisiana Register of Historic Cemeteries, a public database to increase awareness of historic cemeteries for their protection, maintenance, and respect for those buried within them.

Six months into the program, 135 historic cemeteries have been registered and a visual glossary has been launched with hundreds of photos from around the state. At least one historic cemetery from each parish is now represented in the register, with dozens recorded in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.

Nominations are taken from the public through an online form. Information is gathered about the age, boundary, symbolism, and condition of burial grounds, as well as the types of markers and veteran burials from various wars.

In order for a site to be certified on the Louisiana Register of Historic Cemeteries, at least one of the following conditions must be met:

• Must be 50+ years since the first burial; and/or
• Must contain the burial of a person of local, state, or national importance by reason of civic, public, or military service, cultural achievement, or historical significance; and/or
• Must contain structures that are considered architecturally significant.

Patterns are starting to emerge in different regions of the state, from the number of cemeteries to burial customs. For example, wooden markers and grave houses appear from Beauregard to Claiborne Parishes, while the number of cemeteries in Washington Parish is ten times greater than in St. James Parish. Factors for this could include topography and religious customs. St. James is predominantly Catholic, with the highest ground close to the natural levee of the Mississippi River. Washington Parish, by contrast, is predominantly Protestant, and has hilly topography throughout.

Brian Davis, Executive Director for the Louisiana Trust, says, “Historic Cemeteries are the archives of communities and can often tell us more about those who lived there, from family connections and civic involvement to occupation or military service. They are also telling us more about villages which no longer survive. We’re asking the public to share what information and stories they have about cemeteries connected with their families.”

The database maps the known location of approximately 8,500 known historic burial grounds across the state. Clicking on the icon for a cemetery will bring up its record and whether more information is needed about it. The online form allows someone to draw the boundary of the cemetery, provide information, and upload photos of the site.

To see which historic sites are in your parish or to contribute information and photos about a historic cemetery, visit https://historic-cemeteries.lthp.org/. There is no fee for nominating a cemetery to be certified in the Louisiana Register of Historic Cemeteries.

This project has been financed in part with federal funds from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, through the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation.

The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation was founded in 1979 with the mission to advocate, promote, and preserve historic places representing our diverse culture. It is the statewide historic preservation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, working in all 64 parishes. For more information about the Louisiana Trust & their work, visit LTHP.org.