Memorial style and order developed as more impressive tombs were built in St. Louis I and successive cemeteries. ...Opportunities for marble cutters grew with the expansion and growing sophistication of cemetery architecture.

Patricia Brady, "Florville Foy, F.M.C." 1993

Marble Tablets & Sculpture

A fine-grained, white calcitic marble was used most frequently for closure tablets, tomb slabs, plaques and sculpture. Several other stones are also found in lesser quantities, including a medium to large grained grey veined white marble and a dark gray limestone. By far the most serious problem affecting tomb stonework is the deformation (bowing) and breaking of the closure tablets and their surface erosion ('sugaring') from atmospheric weathering.

Marble, being highly crystalline, under-goes a volume increase with each thermal cycle, leading to permanent expansion and distortion. If restricted, eventual cracking and breaking of the stone often occurs in order to relieve this built-up stress. This is clearly visible in the many bowed and deformed S- and C-shaped closure tablets. Their poor design as large thin (1") slabs tightly fitted in the tomb opening and fine-grained structure have contributed significantly to their structural deformation and breakage in New Orleans' hot damp climate.

Surface erosion and loss of inscription and carved detail on marble and limestone are due to these stones' chemical sensitivity to acidic conditions caused by atmospheric pollution and micro-flora. Black staining commonly found on horizontal surfaces and joints is the result of black fungal growth.

Frequently, due to the conditions outlined above, inscription tablets and various architectural and sculpted elements become stained, eroded, fragile and fragmented, often disassociated from their original location. In such instances, if conservation work cannot proceed immediately, stonework should be photographed where found, and a precise record kept which will identify all of the elements. This is useful should elements be stolen and later retrieved. All of the fragments should be marked (on their reverse side) with their location using chalk or a graphite pencil. A copy of the record should be made and stored with the actual element, and the original copy placed with the governing body of the cemetery or preservation society.

Fragmented and damaged enclosure tablets and sculpture should be repaired as soon as possible before pieces become lost or damaged from handling. A trained conservator or technician is best qualified to perform this work.

Where tablets are missing or need replacement, fine white marble should be selected over other stones. Tablets should be sized to a minimum of 1 1/2" in thickness. Where possible, new and reinstalled tablets should be shaved at the bottom ¼" and placed on lead or polyethylene foam shims to allow for thermal movement.

The original single or double pinning assemblies used to retain the tablet in place should be reused or substituted in kind. If wooden blocks were used to anchor the pin into the vault masonry, these can be replaced if necessary with more durable composite wood to avoid future insect attack. Only non-corrosive stainless steel or bronze pins should be used. These are available from the Archdiocesan Cemeteries office.

The recent substitution of gray granite and blue anorthosite for many of the historic white marble tablets is significantly impacting the historic appearance of the site as a whole. These new closure tablet replacements are dramatically different both in color and reflectivity from their marble precedents. While the closure tablet issue may seem like a minor aesthetic debate, it is indicative of the larger question of the contribution of repetitive architectural elements to the visual integration of the overall site and the impact of such changes. Durable white marble is available from local stone suppliers at comparable costs, and should be used in lieu of granite at this site.

Opening quote: Patricia Brady, "Florville Foy, F.M.C.: Master Marble Cutter and Tomb Builder." The Southern Quarterly: A Journal of the Arts in the South, Alfred E. Lemmon, ed. Vol. XXXI, No. 2, (Winter 1993): 9-10.

Text adapted from St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Guidelines for Preservation and Restoration. The full document of guidelines can be downloaded as a pdf file. Go There.