In October 2024, we launched 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.  To-date, the public has registered historic cemeteries in all 64 parishes.  A visual glossary with hundreds of photos and field note checklist is available online, to assist with the nomination process. 

Nominations are taken from the general public through an online form.  Information is gathered about the age, size, boundary, and condition of burial grounds, as well as the types of markers and veteran burials from various wars.  There is no fee for nominating a cemetery to be certified in the Louisiana Register of Historic Cemeteries.

In order for a site to be certified in 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.

“We want this site to be a tool for the public to use for education and preservation of historic cemeteries around our state,” says Brian Davis, executive director for the Louisiana Trust.  “We work in all 64 parishes and see historic cemeteries in all conditions from well-manicured, to abandoned to endangered. Cemeteries from cities to the coast and the information they tell about a community are under threat from erosion, storms and subsidence.”

The database features icons for approximately 8,500 cemeteries across the state and whether the cemetery has been certified or if more information is needed.  The program will rely on help from the public to provide photos and more information.  There is also an opportunity to share information about cemeteries which are not currently shown on the map, which may be abandoned or known by only a few people. 

To see which historic sites are in your area or to contribute information and photos about a historic cemetery, visit https://historic-cemeteries.lthp.org/.