The Fairgrounds neighborhood

Today, the Fairgrounds neighborhood extends, roughly, from Bayou St. John to Broad Street, and from Esplanade Avenue to Florida Avenue.  During the first century after Europeans began settling along the bayou, various owners held large pieces of land in this area.  Eventually, these were subdivided into small lots.

But, before it was turned into a residential suburb in the early 1800’s, one of the things this area became known for was a Haitian Voodoo practitioner by the name of John Montenet who lived along the banks of Bayou St. John with his followers.  Many believe it was this man, known as “Dr. John,” who was the first person to mix traditional Voodoo with some of the rituals of the Catholic Church.

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In the early 1800’s, Faubourg Pontchartrain, an area that extended from the bayou to Gentilly Boulevard, was established here.  Surveyor Joseph Pilie laid out angled lots and streets that aligned with Grand Route St. John.  A few homes had been built on these lots by 1830 and, by 1850, the area was becoming much more populated.  The Luling Mansion, designed by James Gallier, Jr., was constructed in 1865 - the Louisiana Jockey Club owned this building from 1880 to the early 1900’s, using it as their clubhouse (Some people still refer to this site as the “Jockey Club” - tradition dies hard in New Orleans!).

The Fair Grounds racetrack, from which the neighborhood takes its name, has a long history in the city.  It was established in 1852 - first known as the Union Race Course - and it is the only racetrack in the South that opened before the Civil War and continued operation after the war.  Wealthy merchants, professionals, land owners and gamblers were immediately attracted to the racetrack and, by the 1860’s, the city was referred to as the “heart of American racing.”  The track’s name was first changed to the Creole Race Course; then to the Mechanics and Agricultural Fair Grounds; and this was, eventually, shortened to the Fair Grounds.  It remains a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike.

There’s another important landmark in the neighborhood:  St. Louis No. 3 Cemetery, on Esplanade Avenue near Bayou St. John.  Bayou Cemetery, as it was first called, was established in the late 1830’s/early 1840’s.  There’s some evidence to suggest that it was first used as a burial place for people who’d died in an adjacent lepers colony called “Lepers’ Land.”  It was at about this time that Governor Galvez had exiled those in the city afflicted with leprosy to this approximate location.

However, after the great Yellow Fever epidemic of 1853, the city was in need of another cemetery.  So, in 1854, Reverend G. L. Duquesnay bought Bayou Cemetery for the use of St. Louis Cathedral and the name was changed to St. Louis No. 3.

Many well-known New Orleanians are buried here, among them:  famous Storyville photographer E. J. Belloq;  Father Francois Isidore Turgis, who spent the latter part of his life as priest of the old Mortuary Chapel;  Father Adrien Rouquette, poet and missionary priest, who dedicated his life to working among the Choctaw;  Thomy Lafon, a Creole business man and philanthropist, who supported many worthy causes and who bought the old Orleans Ballroom for use as an orphanage;  lawyer and author, Cyprien Dufour;  and Charles A. Orleans, owner of a prominent monument firm.

St. Louis No. 3 is, also, known for its society tombs, such as the Young Men’s Benevolent Association, the Dante Lodge of Masons and the Hellenic Orthodox community’s Byzantine-style tomb.

One of the most interesting monuments in St. Louis No. 3 is the one erected by James Gallier, Jr., to the memory of his father and stepmother, with the inscription:  “This monument is erected to the memory of James Gallier, architect of New Orleans, born at Ravensdale, Ireland, July 24, 1795, by his son as a tribute to his genius, integrity and virtue, and of Catherine Maria Robinson, born at Barre, Massachusetts, wife of James Gallier, they were lost in the steamer Evening Star, which foundered on the voyage from New York to New Orleans, October 3, 1866.”

The accompanying pictures include two images from the Fair Grounds racetrack, ca. 1900; a photo of the former LA Jockey Club; a photo of St. Louis No. 3, when it was still referred to by most people as “Bayou Cemetery,” ca. 1860’s; and a photo of Father Turgis’ tomb, ca. 1940s.