Located just North of the original Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, Lafayette Cemetery No. 2 is also on Washington Avenue (bound by Sixth, Saratoga, and Loyola Streets).
It was believed to have started informally in 1850 as a burial ground.
In 1858, the City of Lafayette (before being annexed by New Orleans) constructed 120 tombs within.
In 1865, a survey and plan were drawn up of the cemetery and the avenues and pathways designated.
A portion of the cemetery along Sixth Street was designated “for the occupancy of the colored population.” Some society tombs were built in this section.
Other society tombs found in the cemetery include the Butcher’s Association (1868) and the French Society of Jefferson (1872).
The neighborhood that Lafayette No. 2 is home to has gone through many changes over the years, once an affluent section of town has found itself in hard times.
The area now has a reputation for being unsafe and as a result the cemetery receives few visits from families.
Unfortunately, the tombs have suffered from disregard, despite there being many noteworthy works of architecture.
-- Text courtesy of Save Our Cemeteries
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