Historic Highland Cemetery
Highland Cemetery, located just south of the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, LA, is the oldest surviving cemetery in East Baton Rouge Parish. The three earliest documented burials took place in 1813. Two important Revolutionary War veterans are buried here. Virtually abandoned after the turmoil of the Civil War, only two attempts to “clean her up” took place in the 1930’s and the 1970’s
Highland Cemetery, located just south of the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, LA, is the oldest surviving cemetery in East Baton Rouge Parish. The three earliest documented burials took place in 1813. Two important Revolutionary War veterans are buried here. Virtually abandoned after the turmoil of the Civil War, only two attempts to “clean her up” took place in the 1930’s and the 1970’s. Today, a group of volunteers through a non-profit group called “Historic Highland Cemetery, Inc” has been given permission by its owner, the Catholic Church to care for her. This group has commissioned an archaeologist to do a systematic study of the cemetery and to use that data to restore the cemetery to the most original condition possible in order to increase its chance of selection to the US National Register of Historic Places.
Thank you for visiting our Web site. Historic Highland Cemetery, Inc., the organization resposible for this website, is committed to researching, restoring and preserving this “piece of history.” We are an IRS registered 501(3)(c) non-profit organization run by a volunteer board. We hope to be an example to anyone interested in saving and demanding respecting for any one of the literally hundreds of thousands of forgotten cemeteries throughout America.
We hope you enjoy your virtual tour through Highland Cemetery and our methods for caring for her! The Dr. and Mrs. James A. Thom Family The founder of our organization was Evelyn Boyd Martindale Thom who, with her family spearheaded the drive to save Highland Cemetery in 1968 and presented this historic jewel to its community for our nation’s bicentenial birthday in 1976. For decades later, Evelyn continued to care for Highland through the development of our organization. Though she peacefully left this earth in 2011, the board chose to honor her with the permanent office of founder.
We hope you enjoy your virtual tour through Highland Cemetery and our methods for caring for her! The Dr. and Mrs. James A. Thom Family The founder of our organization was Evelyn Boyd Martindale Thom who, with her family spearheaded the drive to save Highland Cemetery in 1968 and presented this historic jewel to its community for our nation’s bicentenial birthday in 1976. For decades later, Evelyn continued to care for Highland through the development of our organization. Though she peacefully left this earth in 2011, the board chose to honor her with the permanent office of founder.
Evelyn Boyd Martindale Thom
1919 - 2011
About Us
Historic Highland Cemetery is owned by St. Joseph Cathedral Roman Catholic Church located in downtown Baton Rouge. Because the cemetery was located three miles away from the church, a formidable distance for most of its 200 year history, it was always taken care of by the families and friends of the interred.
Historic Highland Cemetery
The Highlands are a natural bluff along the edge of the Mississippi River flood plain just south of Baton Rouge, LA. The early settlers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century were awarded Spanish land grants along this 10 mile stretch of rolling hills overlooking fertile flood lands. These early German and French families must have developed a sense of community apart from the nearby town of Baton Rouge.
Archaeology The Key to Understanding Highland Cemetery
Any understanding of an historic cemetery has to involve the disciplines of anthropology, geology and archaeology. Literally, there are no two cemeteries alike and an understanding of what should be on a burial site is imperative before any restoration work begins. Research would include genealogy of documented burials and a general history of the area to establish timeframes of activity (such as older or newer sections).
List Of Interred
Because records were poorly kept by Catholic Church priests and Protestant burials were not listed at all, the following lists have been complied from probates, funeral notices, family records and recollections, tombstone inscriptions and newspaper notices. There are still many omissions so, a list of unconfirmed burials follows the known ones. Researchers: Evelyn M. Thom and Barbara Strickland, September 1976. Please contact us if you know of any missing or incorrect information!
Donate
We encourage you to please help us by becoming a Friend of Highland Cemetery. Your donation go towards promoting awareness and preservation of Baton Rouge’s oldest surviving cemetery. You may print our membership form (below) and pay by mailed check or via our PayPal link (below). Either way, donations over $75 will be acknowledged by mailed letter.
Individual – $25
Family – $40
Nonprofit – $50
Company – $100
Individual – $25
Family – $40
Nonprofit – $50
Company – $100
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