Buildings are three-dimensional history books that reflect the comings and goings, successes and failures, aspirations and follies of real people.

Mills Lane, 1990.

The Builders

"Researchers face a delimma in gathering historical data on the numerious brick masons, stonecutters, sculptors, and architects who worked in the early cemeteries."1

The field survey noted the few visual markings of architect, builder, mason, sculptor or metalwork designer/builder names. Additional archival and literature research yielded names of key builders known to be working in the St. Louis Cemeteries in the nineteenth century, however, most tombs in the site could not be exactly identified as to the craftspeople involved.

During the SAT project, local masons, plasterers, sculptors and metal workers were used to repair historic materials and to restore and replicate missing elements. The masons, Royal and Perrault, both come from families long involved in the above ground tombs of New Orleans, with Perrault being a direct descendant of the historic builder, Perrault, and the family tomb (#355) was one of the pilot tombs. The marble sculptor, Henderson, and the metal artisans recreated missing decorative elements. Care was taken to ensure that no mistaken historic identity was created. Using methods and design input of the past, they re-created new pieces of art.

Opening quote: Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Louisiana. New York: Beehive Press, 1990.

1. Peggy McDowell, "Influences on 19th-century Funerary Architecture," New Orleans Architecture: Vol. III The Cemeteries, M. Christovich ed. Gretna, LA: Pelican, 1997.