I recently had to get permission from the New Orleans Cemetery Division to gain entrance to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, as I had family in town who wished to see their family tomb.
I was simply mortified by the condition of the entire place. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest city-owned cemetery, founded in 1833 and has been closed since 2019 because of the condition.
I now know why. The tombs and walls are crumbling, and the weeds are thigh high, full of stickers that covered my clothes and arms as I waded through the aisles. There has obviously been no attempt to care for the grounds for years…