Question what makes Holt Cemetery different from other cemeteries in New Orleans. This is not your typical above-ground city of the dead. Holt Cemetery is a unique and poignant burial ground.
Holt Cemetery was established in 1879. It became the final resting place for the city’s indigent. The cemetery is named after Dr. Joseph Holt. He was an official of the New Orleans Board of Health.
Unlike the elaborate tombs in other New Orleans cemeteries, Holt Cemetery is known for its in-ground burials. Most graves are below ground here. This is one of New Orleans’ few below-ground cemeteries. The above-ground burials are due to New Orleans French and Spanish cultural influences.
For some of the city’s poorest residents, it is the only option, costing about 20 percent of the most affordable alternative. The cemetery has been filled to capacity many times over. Each gravesite has been used for dozens of burials.
What truly sets Holt Cemetery apart is the personal touch evident in every corner. Families themselves create the grave markers. They use everything from PVC pipes and garden fences to painted fence posts and AstroTurf. Plastic headstones adorned with adhesive lettering are common. Mouldering teddy bears and plastic flowers add to the heartfelt memorials.
Many graves are decorated with brilliantly reflective plastic foils or polished metal objects. One likely origin of the use of reflective surfaces is the Kongo people of West Africa. They often used beetle wings or kaolin clay for reflective grave dressings. This brightness can signify the glory of heaven. It can signify the shining memory of those who have died. It can also signify a protective force for the graves they decorate.
PVC pipes are often used as symbols through which messages to the dead may pass. This is another custom with origins in Kongo belief. Other common decorations include round objects such as tires. Pinwheels are also common. They are known as God’s wheels. These represent continuity amid change. Animal statues and stuffed animals watch over the graves. Thrones or chairs are earthly manifestations of the seats reserved for the dead in heaven. Whitewashed rocks mark sanctified ground. Experienced objects include the tools of one’s work. Pottery shards allude to the world of the dead. Inverted bottles evoke the other side of life. Fences seal the protective powers of the other symbolic objects placed within.
Holt Cemetery became an almost exclusively Black space in the 1960s. The city moved the coroner’s burials elsewhere. It was then used primarily by low-income Black families in the surrounding area.
Several notable figures are buried here. Early blues and jazz musicians rest in Holt Cemetery. They include Babe Stovall, Jessie Hill, and Charles “Buddy” Bolden. Bolden was buried in an unmarked grave. A headstone was erected in 1988 in his honor.
Sadly, Holt Cemetery has faced challenges over the years. Neglect and lack of maintenance have taken their toll. The city keeps no formal records of the burials. A gravedigger decides when a grave should be reused. He bases it on his memory of how recently it was visited.
After Hurricane Katrina, the cemetery was severely flooded. Hundreds of graves were destroyed. Many families found no trace of their ancestors’ graves when they returned.
Despite these challenges, Holt Cemetery remains a place of remembrance. It is a testament to the enduring power of family, community, and the human spirit. This is a place where loved ones are honored with heartfelt, handmade tributes. It is a reminder of the rich cultural traditions that make New Orleans so unique.