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Tomb and Monument Preservation
Coping Restoration, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
Tomb Restoration, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
Tomb Restoration, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
Society Tomb Restoration, Metairie Cemetery
Tomb Restoration, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Tomb Research and Interment History
Years of experience and research have shown us that one of the best ways to preserve historic cemeteries is to re-connect families with their ancestors' burial places. We help families learn where ancestors are buried, location and condition of lost family tombs, and histories of cemetery lots.
Do you have family buried in New Orleans? You may have partial ownership of a family tomb in an historic cemetery. Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation, LLC, has accumulated an unparalleled collection of interment records and familiarity with local repositories. Through these venues we provide burial locations and tomb title research for private families.
Do you have family buried in New Orleans? You may have partial ownership of a family tomb in an historic cemetery. Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation, LLC, has accumulated an unparalleled collection of interment records and familiarity with local repositories. Through these venues we provide burial locations and tomb title research for private families.
Consultation Projects
Conditions Assessment and Master Plan:
St. James Goose Creek Chapel of Ease Cemetery, Goose Creek, SC At the request of a local historic society, this historic below-ground cemetery was investigated for unmarked burials, and each of its remaining monuments assessed for condition. A treatment plan for each monument was established for the repair and long-term preservation of this historic Revolutionary War-era cemetery. |
Conditions Assessment and Master Plan:
Hook and Ladder Cemetery, Gretna, LA Performed for a local non-profit society in Gretna, Louisiana, this plan included a survey and assessment of all lots in the cemetery, founded 1858. From these assessments, recommendations and treatment solutions were presented in order of most immediate need. |
Lectures and Publications
In addition to an in-depth thesis and published historical works, Emily Ford has conducted numerous lectures and presentations on the topic of New Orleans cemeteries, historic funerary craftwork, and specific cemetery histories. Past presentations include:
"Basics of Cemetery Preservation," part of a public workshop hosted by Mobile Public Library, Mobile, AL, in partnership with Oaklawn Cemetery, Mobile Creole Cultural and Historical Preservation Society, and the 92nd Infantry Division Buffalo Soldiers. Click here for a .pdf of the classroom lecture.
"Your Family Tomb: A Biography," Learning Before Lunch program, March 8, 2018. Click here for .pdf of presentation.
"Cemetery Preservation & The Funeral Industry," Delgado Community College Funeral Service Education Program, October 30, 2017.
"New Orleans Cemetery Landscapes: Benevolent Societies and German Heritage," Algiers Historical Society, August 20, 2017.
"The Italian Contribution to New Orleans Cemeteries: 1850 - 1950," presentation hosted by the American Italian Cultural Center, July 20, 2017. Click here for .pdf of presentation.
"Lost Cemeteries of New Orleans," annual conference of the Association for Gravestone Studies, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, June 24, 2017.
"Improving Preservation Dialogue between Cemetery Operators and Contractors," presented with Sam Beetler II, Conservation Coordinator of the City of Savannah, Georgia Department of Cemeteries, annual conference of the Association for Gravestone Studies, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, June 24, 2017.
"New Orleans Musicians and the Cemeteries in Which they Rest," New Orleans International Music Colloquium, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 10, 2016.
"Navigating Cryptic Historiography to Reinvent Cemetery Preservation in New Orleans," Annual Conference of the Louisiana Historical Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, March 18, 2016.
"Basics of Cemetery Preservation," part of a public workshop hosted by Mobile Public Library, Mobile, AL, in partnership with Oaklawn Cemetery, Mobile Creole Cultural and Historical Preservation Society, and the 92nd Infantry Division Buffalo Soldiers. Click here for a .pdf of the classroom lecture.
"Your Family Tomb: A Biography," Learning Before Lunch program, March 8, 2018. Click here for .pdf of presentation.
"Cemetery Preservation & The Funeral Industry," Delgado Community College Funeral Service Education Program, October 30, 2017.
"New Orleans Cemetery Landscapes: Benevolent Societies and German Heritage," Algiers Historical Society, August 20, 2017.
"The Italian Contribution to New Orleans Cemeteries: 1850 - 1950," presentation hosted by the American Italian Cultural Center, July 20, 2017. Click here for .pdf of presentation.
"Lost Cemeteries of New Orleans," annual conference of the Association for Gravestone Studies, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, June 24, 2017.
"Improving Preservation Dialogue between Cemetery Operators and Contractors," presented with Sam Beetler II, Conservation Coordinator of the City of Savannah, Georgia Department of Cemeteries, annual conference of the Association for Gravestone Studies, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, June 24, 2017.
"New Orleans Musicians and the Cemeteries in Which they Rest," New Orleans International Music Colloquium, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 10, 2016.
"Navigating Cryptic Historiography to Reinvent Cemetery Preservation in New Orleans," Annual Conference of the Louisiana Historical Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, March 18, 2016.
"Hier Ruhen en Frieden: The Germans of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1," Monthly Meeting of the German American Cultural Center, Gretna, Louisiana, February 17, 2014.
"Hugh J. McDonald: Constructing Lafayette Cemetery No. 1," 5th Annual Louisiana Studies Conference, Natchitoches, Louisiana, September 21, 2013.
"Turning the Corner: The Modernization of Tomb Building in New Orleans, 1880-1915," Association for Gravestone Studies Annual Conference, Salem, Oregon, June 22, 2013.
We believe that cemetery preservation is best achieved when communities and families are engaged in their heritage. Please contact us to discuss possible presentations, workshops, or lectures with your preservation, genealogical, or non-profit group.
Emily Ford is also the author of a thesis on historic New Orleans funerary craftsmen, which is available as a .pdf here: The Stonecutters and Tomb Builders of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. She also co-authored a broad history of Jewish communities in Mississippi and Louisiana, viewable here: The Jews of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta: A History of Life and Community Along the Bayou.
"Hugh J. McDonald: Constructing Lafayette Cemetery No. 1," 5th Annual Louisiana Studies Conference, Natchitoches, Louisiana, September 21, 2013.
"Turning the Corner: The Modernization of Tomb Building in New Orleans, 1880-1915," Association for Gravestone Studies Annual Conference, Salem, Oregon, June 22, 2013.
We believe that cemetery preservation is best achieved when communities and families are engaged in their heritage. Please contact us to discuss possible presentations, workshops, or lectures with your preservation, genealogical, or non-profit group.
Emily Ford is also the author of a thesis on historic New Orleans funerary craftsmen, which is available as a .pdf here: The Stonecutters and Tomb Builders of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. She also co-authored a broad history of Jewish communities in Mississippi and Louisiana, viewable here: The Jews of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta: A History of Life and Community Along the Bayou.
Oak and Laurel in the Media
2016 photo by New Orleans Advocate photographer Matthew Hinton.
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September 25, 2018: "Grave Groomer Dedicates Her Career to Hanging out in Cemeteries," Kayla Bertucci, New Orleans WGNO.
March 8, 2017: "A Timeline of Cemetery Vandalism Targeting Jewish Burial Grounds," Liz Spikol, Philadelphia Jewish Exponent. This article specifically referenced Oak and Laurel's research in cemetery vandalism. October 20, 2016: "Living for the Dead in Above Ground Cemeteries," Lane Kaplan-Levenson, WWNO's TriPod podcast. April 28, 2016: "Grave Responsibility: New Orleans Tomb Repair Expert Won't Rest til it's Done Right," George Gurtner, New Orleans Advocate. |