St. Joseph Cemetery's 200th Anniversary Celebration Highlights Cemetery's Unique History

When people stroll through the St. Joseph cemetery, with its gnarled moss-covered oak trees, it is as if they are browsing through the pages of an “open history book.” Stories emerge of the society, culture, families, and people which have shaped the Baton Rouge area. The 200th anniversary of the cemetery is being celebrated with events scheduled throughout this year.

The theme of the celebration is “Remember … Respect … Restore.”

St. Joseph Cemetery is one of Baton Rouge’s oldest and most historic cemeteries. Established in 1792 behind what is now St. Joseph Cathedral, the cemetery was moved to its current location on Main Street in 1825.

The origins of the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery go back to 1792, according to the Board of Trustees of the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery Fund. The Spanish government, which controlled the territory that would become Louisiana, ordered the construction of a Catholic church in Baton Rouge, which was named originally named Our Lady of Sorrows, and a cemetery.

The cemetery was originally named Cemetery of Our Lady of Sorrows and referred to as “the Spanish Cemetery.” It was located behind the church, which was renamed St. Joseph Church (now Cathedral), in ground between North Fourth and North Fifth streets.

The cemetery quickly filled up with the growth of Baton Rouge and the church congregation, and neighboring residents complained because of an “overpowering odor.” The odor was attributed to residents of the town’s oldest neighborhood, “Spanish Town,” who allowed their livestock to roam through the cemetery and break open the graves. The cemetery had also run out of space for burials.
Petitjean tomb
Four prominent members of the church were appointed with the task of finding a new site for the cemetery: Philip Hicky, Armand Duplantier, Michael Branagan, and B.T. Beauregard. On Sept. 20, 1825, they signed documents to buy two lots bounded by Main, North, 15th, and 17th streets.

There are 3,000 people, who came from different walks of life, buried at St. Joseph Cemetery. Among the notable individuals buried there are early mayors, sheriffs, business leaders, and Baton Rouge’s first doctor. There are also Confederate and Union soldiers, African-American Reconstruction Era legislators, an artist, engineer, and cartographer who created a well-known map of plantations along the Mississippi River. Several Jesuit priests were also buried at the cemetery. Many of the tombstones are inscribed in French.

The majority of graves, however, belong to ordinary residents who have helped build Baton Rouge for more than 300 years.

The passage of 200 years has taken its toll on the tombs, and the need has arisen to repair and restore some of them.

The board of trustees met with Emily Ford, owner of Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation in New Orleans, to evaluate the needs of the cemetery tombs. They prioritized 10 historically and architecturally significant structures in St. Joseph Cemetery, according to the age of the tombs, the historical integrity, and unique features of the tombs.

The Petit Jean Tomb will be the featured tomb of this years’ celebration, according to St. Joseph Cemetery Board of Trustee members President Eric Swenson and Vice President Gail Gaiennié.

Eight people have been laid to rest in the Petit Jean Tomb, which is in section 2 of the cemetery.

According to records from the board of trustees, the tomb has an unusual four-oven vault pyramidal design featuring a curved roof with a quarter-circular slope on each end of a plat form.

Time and two previous repairs have made the tomb a priority.

“The tomb is a wreck,” Ford said in a 2023 report. “The concrete roof should not be there. Some of it has already failed, and it is of inferior 19th century quality.”

Ford also wrote that “restoration work is urgently needed to ensure the (Petit Jean Tomb) remains part of the cemetery.”

When the board of trustees noted that the 200th anniversary was approaching, it decided it was an appropriate time to highlight both the architectural and historical gems located in the cemetery.

“We were going to host the events to celebrate and educate,” said Gaiennié.

The committee will host a soiree on Sunday, April 6, 6–9 p.m., at the East Baton Rouge Main Library Branch, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge. The theme for the soiree will be “Tell Me a Story.” People are encouraged to share stories about their ancestors buried in the cemetery. To share your story, email [email protected]

Additionally, the soiree will feature food and beverages, silent auction, and a presentation about the cemetery and the important role it has played in the city’s history.

On Sunday, Oct. 19, the committee will hold an afternoon scavenger hunt for families and children at the cemetery. Goodie bags and prizes will be distributed.

The committee will cap off the anniversary year on Sunday, Nov. 2 with an All Souls Day Mass, the blessing of the graves, and a luncheon.

St. Joseph Cathedral has served as the burial place for people beyond Baton Rouge.

“We have people from West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, and Ascension Parishes (buried in the cemetery),” Gaiennié said.

St. Joseph Cemetery was one of the first cemeteries in the city to allow people of different races to be buried next to each other.

Ford said among the historic cemeteries, St. Joseph Cemetery is unique because of the allotted greenspaces and trees it has kept over the years.

“It is especially unique because you can be in that space and experience the space the way it would have been experienced historically, which is really a treasure,” said Ford.

For more information about the soiree and other information about the anniversary celebration, visit saintjosephcemeterybr.org.