Fernand May Tomb

PRES 6041  Preservation Studio I
Professors Mark Rabinowitz & Cynthia Stewart

This project documents the Fernand May Tomb located in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 in New Orleans. Completed using National Park Service (NPS) Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) standards, the work involved field measurement, hand drafting, and AutoCAD translation of architectural features, profiles, and elevations. The tomb, built in the early 20th century, reflects a blend of local funerary traditions and European stylistic influence. Although Fernand May himself is buried in Metairie Cemetery, this family tomb contains the remains of several relatives, including his wife Stella Castellanos, his mother Madame Joseph May, and his daughter Laure.

Drawings include full elevation views, site and roof plans, detail profiles, and measured sections. Notable features such as a raised gabled pediment, cast stone ornamentation, and a Latin cross finial were documented in both field and digital formats. This work contributes to the preservation and interpretation of New Orleans’ unique above-ground burial culture and its architectural legacies.

Completed for Studio I in the Historic Preservation program, this documentation project focused on the Fernand May tomb at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 in New Orleans. The tomb was selected for its spatial isolation, which allowed for unobstructed photography on all sides—ideal conditions for photogrammetry. Reality Capture software was used to generate a detailed 3D model, enabling precise AutoCAD drawings that recorded surface conditions including cracks, biogrowth, and repairs. All measurements were verified on site to ensure accuracy.

The Fernand May photogrammetry and field drawings of the adjacent P. Pennacchia tomb—produced by classmate Allyson Hinz—were featured in Dezeen, a leading international design and architecture magazine. The publication highlighted the project as an example of how digital and traditional documentation methods complement one another in contemporary preservation practice.

Catherine Restrepo

Meet Catherine, the former architect who traded blueprints for scuba suits and found a love for exploring ocean depths. Armed with a Nitrox specialty certification she tinkers mad-scientist style to concoct safer gas mixtures for sassier dives below. Currently honing her preservation skills by the river, this captain-in-training dreams of becoming a marine archaeologist out on the high seas. Drawn to water ever since she can remember, Catherine is perfectly proof that you can ditch a landlubber career to survey underwater artifacts and still keep your head above water. Whether cheerfully cursing floods in New Orleans or mapping lost treasures, this future underwater adventurist shows you can be anything your heart and diving compass point to next. The depths are calling and this seafaring conservator intends to dive right in!

New Orleans, LA, USAinfo@madameguignol.com
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