By Rob Morgan
The American Cemetery has become a much livelier place through the recent efforts of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, the Cane River National Heritage Area, the American Cemetery Association and the City of Natchitoches.
A project that began as an extensive cleanup of the cemetery grounds coordinated by the American Cemetery Association, with the assistance of the City Natchitoches, has entered a massive surveying endeavor.
This summer NCPTT began an in-depth survey of the gravemarkers in the American Cemetery, a project requiring the Center to recruit a number of volunteers throughout the summer.
“It is a big project and we have a lot of things we are doing to the cemetery,” Jennifer Cappeto, an intern at NCPTT, said.
Cappeto is responsible for the bulk of NCPTT’s part of the American Cemetery project. Assessing the conditions of the markers and developing a site map for the historic cemetery are the two main goals the Center has set for her. The work done by Cappeto will benefit the city in future maintenance efforts towards the cemetery.
“I’m excited about the project,” Cappeto said. “I think it is a really great opportunity for me to learn about the history and people of Natchitoches.”
Cappeto earned her bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture from Middlebury College in Vermont. Currently, she is working on a master of science in historic preservation with a concentration in building materials conservation at the University of Pennsylvania.
Surveying the condition of nearly 2000 grave markers and tombs translates into a great deal of work for an individual. NCPTT provides training for volunteers willing to help Cappeto during this summer-long preservation effort.
“We are looking for people in late high school and older,” Cappeto said. “People with an interest in history or science-basically, anyone who would like to learn. It is a great learning opportunity.”
A burial ground for early French colonists, the Cemetery was the site for the second Fort St. Jean Baptiste erected in 1737, according to Payne Williams, author of "The American Cemetery, the Oldest Cemetery in the Louisiana Purchase, and a Shrine to God and History".
Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, the founder of Natchitoches, is believed to have been buried in the church contained within the fort. The American Cemetery is suspected to be the oldest cemetery in the Louisiana Purchase, having been in continual use as a non-denominational burial ground since the founding of Natchitoches in 1714.
Roubieu-Jones House, the Coin Coin-Prudhomme House, the Piece-Sur-Piece Building at Ducorneau Plantation and outbuildings at Oakland Plantation, a unit of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park.
“I see the HABS program as an opportunity to get hands-on experience in historical research,” Tony Bremholm, HABS’ Architectural Historian, said. “My interest is in the cultural aspects of the history of technology, in this case of vernacular architecture in the agricultural landscape.”
Members of this year’s HABS team are Bremholm of Norman, Oklahoma, Felicia Atwell of Mobile, Alabama, Brian Carnahan of Joplin, Missourri, Oxana Tulejova of Kosice, Slovakia and Andy Sanders of Simsboro, Louisiana.
During their work on the plantation, the HABS team will produce drawings taken from their measurements of the structure, create an overall site plan demonstrating how Magnolia Plantation worked and provide historical research on the plantation.
Atwell, the supervising architect on the HABS team, said the team’s work would provide information for other professionals in the preservation field while also increasing the public’s awareness of the property.
HABS has a long past with investigating the cultural architecture of Louisiana. Beginning with the rebuilding of Fort St. Jean de Baptiste here in Natchitoches and projects in the Cane River Area: the Africa and Yucca Houses on Melrose Plantation and the Lemee Houses in Natchitoches.
“Architecture of Louisiana, especially along the Cane River, is for me very interesting as it differs a lot from what I have experienced at my home country,” said Tulejova. “I am glad to be here, join the HABS team, share my knowledge and in the same time learn.”
Rob Morgan was a summer intern for the public outreach program at NCPTT.