Collaborative Ethnography of Holt Cemetery
About the Project
The goal of this project is to preserve and protect Holt Cemetery, established 1879, by empowering families of the deceased through support and long-deferred recognition. We will achieve our goal by planning and activating an engagement project on multiple fronts. We will identify the publics of Holt, and then provide a space through which these publics can share memories, concerns, photographs, and other histories of their families and experiences at the cemetery. The products of this engagement project will be preserved in a publicly accessible format.
We are seeking individuals or organizations:
- That have relatives buried in or families associated with Holt Cemetery in New Orleans
- Who are interested or involved in research and preservation at Holt Cemetery
Join us at one of the presentations or forums below. See each program date and time for registration information.
Holt Cemetery, 1907. Photo by M. Durkee via Wikimedia Commons.
Project Team
Emily Ford, City of New Orleans Division of Cemeteries
Rachel Bruelin & Bruce Barnes, Neighborhood Story Project
Dr. Ryan Gray, University at New Orleans
Gaynell Brady, Our Mammy's
If you have any questions about the programs or presentations below, contact ourmammys@gmail.com or (504) 264-2353.
Past Presentations & Programs
Holt Cemetery: History & Genealogy
Holt Cemetery was founded in 1879 to provide relief for New Orleans cemeteries after the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878. This 7-acre cemetery is the final resting place of 1,400+ military veterans and many famous New Orleans residents including Buddy Bolden, Jessie Hill, and Robert Charles.
Gaynell Brady, Owner/Educator at Our Mammy's, will cover the history of Holt Cemetery and debunk many of the myths associated with this burial ground. This presentation will also provide research information and techniques for family historians and genealogists.
The presentations took place online via Zoom:
July 10, 2021, 11:00 a. m. CST
New Orleans Public Library
Listen to the recording here
July 15, 2021, 6:30 p. m. CST
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
Louisiana Chapter
Listen to the recording here
Holt Cemetery Public Forums
Holt Cemetery Public Forums will bring together descendants of the deceased, family historians, scholars, genealogists, preservationists, and other interested parties. Our #1 objective is to bring like-minded individuals together to preserve the cultural heritage of Holt Cemetery.
The public forums were free and open to the public.
The public forums included a brief presentation on a genealogical work relative to the site and a facilitated community discussion to collaborate and outline a strategy for respectfully memorializing the site.
The public forums took place online via Zoom on the following dates:
Friday, July 16, 2021, 11:00 a. m. CST
Saturday, July 17, 11:00 a. m. CST
Thursday, July 22, 2021, 6:00 p. m. CST