St. Joseph Cemetery No. 1 was founded in 1854 by the St. Joseph German Orphan Asylum Association. It was built to bury German immigrants and to provide income for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who ran the orphanage in the city of Lafayette. It was later taken over by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. St. Joseph No. 2 opened in 1873 across the street. These cemeteries cover two city blocks. St. Joesph No. 1 is very unique. It has some gorgeous old tombs that are very well kept. The Conery family tomb is the most noticed. It is a giant temple tomb with an iron gate and an iron fence surrouding it. A woman stands atop the pitched roof. This cemetery contains almost all tombs with very few copings. It is a typical \"City of the Dead,\" appearing to be a small city with many buildings lined up one after the other. \n\nSt. Joseph No. 2 is mostly copings. However, there is the Smith tomb. A giant tomb that looks like a church. There are stained glass windows on every wall and an iron gate protecting the inside. This tomb towers over the copings of the cemetery. It was built to honor the wife of Mr. Emmett Arthur Smith. \n\n