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Cemeteries are a window into the history of communities. They are home to our parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and at times, our children.
We're working in partnership with Good Hope Baptist Church, Trinity CME Church, Mallalieu Immanuel Methodist Church and UL Lafayette’s School of Architecture to create a detailed plan for rehabbing and transforming the cemetery property located at the intersection of Bienville and Olivier Streets. Our common goal is to create a safe, accessible and attractive destination which enhances the surrounding community, and shows the respect this community has for those who are buried there.
Project Goals:
 Increasing Public Safety & Access
ISSUE: Feedback from the community indicates that criminals seek refuge on the property when running from police, as well as the transient population, who occupy the site at night to sleep and use drugs.
SOLUTIONS:
• Install solar-powered lighting around the perimeter of the property and within
it (no residual power costs)
• Secure the property by repairing the existing gates and chain-link fences (short-term) and eventually replacing entire fence and gates with a more aesthetically-pleasing iron fence.
• Create a formal pedestrian entrance
• Install sidewalks throughout and pave main drive to allow ready access to the community during daylight hours and provide access for the disabled to grave areas.
 Beautification
ISSUE: Property is difficult to maintain due to the layout and proximity of the graves to one another. Grass is high and dangerous to walk through, and some graves are covered in poison ivy. No clear paths or handicapped accessibility for visitors. No shade for visitors. Several graves in need of repair and many in need of cleaning and painting.
 SOLUTIONS:
• Remove all debris from the site.
• Trim tress and brush on the north side of the property (backing up to Evangeline Maid bread sign)
• Cut all grass and trim around graves.
• Clean and paint all graves in need of repair/attention and place grave name markers where none are present (if records exist)
• Treat and remove all poison ivy
 • Create a living wall along the north side of the property by recycling the chain link fencing to create a tall fence covered with evergreen flowering vines such as Carolina Jasmine.
• Install shade trees and evergreen landscaping on the Bienville side of the property (between the street and sidewalk) and the St. Antoine side of the property (just inside the fence) to enhance the pedestrian walkways on the street and soften the site’s impact on the neighborhood.
• Create formal entrance on St. Antoine Street (wide for car access on main drive and smaller gate for pedestrian access) with large lighted sign indicating cemetery name, affiliated churches and the year of establishment.
• Post quality permanent signage indicating the hours which the public has access to the property, and have a “no trespassing” sign indicating no visitors after dark and a “no trespassing” letter on file with the city, so police can act if persons are found unlawfully on the property.
Sponsors & Donors
Our thanks to the sponsors, donors and volunteers that are helping to make this project possible:
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• Americorps
• Doug Ashy Building Materials
• Poole Brothers Nursery
• Clyde Holloway's Nursery
• Living Colors Nursery
• Harold C. Poole Nursery
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