The Louisiana Landmarks Society has found that the roots of centuries old oak trees are doing irreparable harm to Lafayette Cemetery and has placed the site on the ‘New Orleans 9′- their annual list of most endangered sites in the city.

Typically places that make the list are structures they hope to save- this year’s list includes Professor Longhair’s home among others- but 2010 also boasts some broader initiatives, like saving the entire Mid-City neighborhood, about to be bulldozed for the new hospital complex, and abandoned churches around the city. Given the broad scope it’s not that surprising that they’d target an entire cemetery.

There are lots of trees throughout the cemetery, and although they make for some lovely shade and gorgeous photos, you can see how they could become a problem. I’ll be documenting the trees and their layouts over the next few weeks in case they start getting cut down out of necessity.