St Louis Cemetery No 3   New Orleans

The history of the establishment of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 spanned an eight-year period in the mid-19th century. The New Orleans City Council passed an act in March of 1848 allowing the wardens of St. Louis Cathedral to establish a new cemetery further from the highly populated areas of the city. On June 8, 1849, the wardens purchased a track of land for that purpose from local businessman and politician Felix Labatut for $15,000 using funds that they had obtained when the city reacquired the fourth square of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, closest to Canal Street, in 1846. In December of 1850, the Church gained authorization from the city to construct their new cemetery on the Labatut land but the authorization was repealed in 1854. Burials began in 1855 but construction did not occur until 1856 after authorization was reinstated by the Supreme Court.