Archive for the ‘McDonoghville Cemetery’ Category

It took awhile to track down just what this marker was commemorating:

It took finding the Kavanaugh tomb in Greenwood with a similar (but clearer) insignia to discover the Knights of Pythias:

The Pythians are (per their website):

The Fraternal Order of Knights of Pythias and its members are dedicated to the cause of universal peace. Pythians are pledged to the promotion of understanding among men of good will as the surest means of attaining Universal Peace. We believe that men, meeting in a spirit of goodwill, in an honest effort of understanding, can live together on this earth in peace and harmony. We seek those who agree with this belief, and have a belief in a personal Supreme Being, to join our ranks in an effort to reach “Peace Through Understanding”.

The order was founded at the close of the U.S. Civil War, with the goal of helping to heal the rift amongst countrymen- a wonderful goal that was tarnished by the group being open to whites only. As pressure was applied in the 1870s, many of the chapters chose to close rather than admit other races.

Paradoxically, the New Orleans chapter was initially exclusively black (integrating in 1900) and called themselves “Temple of The Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias, North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.” Their lodge was in the 200 block of Loyola Ave, now a series of parking lots and support buildings for City Hall and local clinics.

The FCB on the insignia stands for “Friendship, Charity, Benevolence,” and although it’s not specifically referenced on their site, the Knight with the dove perched on his head would have to stand for
“peace through strength,” although I suppose it just might test their devotion to charity once the bird relieved itself up there. (and, as a bird owner, I can tell you it would. )

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more of these around town.

…why New Orleans’ burials are typically above ground, this should clear it up.

I took this photo in McDonoghville Cemetery in Algiers- still in New Orleans, but on the far side of the Mississippi. They have a mix of semi-in ground burials and traditional tombs, but this was one of the former that had been dug but not yet lined.

You only have to go down 12-18 inches before you hit water- New Orleans is basically a skim of soil atop a lake. Even the graves that seem to be closer to the more usual American-style aren’t all they appear.

This hole will be lined in cement block and sealed, but how well that sealant works is questionable at best- here’s another nearby grave that’s further along in the process, and still had several inches of water inside:

I should point out that it’s been a particularly dry season here- it hadn’t rained in over a week before this was taken.

Ultimately, the site will look much like this:

It will be capped off with a material of the family’s choosing- typically cement, or heavy boards weighted down/covered over with gravel- and in the end the bodies will really be partially above ground after all.