Egan Tomb
Gothic
It appears the Egan family tomb has fallen into disrepair and is gently crumbling into the Earth, but in fact the tomb is in quite good repair and should stand for many years to come. The Egan tomb, built in the late 1800’s of Tennessee marble, is one of the most unique and creative replica tombs in the world. Often referred to as “the ruined castle” its design is taken from a little chapel on the family’s estate in Ireland that had been burned, vandalized and lay in ruins.
The design has been attributed to Pierre Casse, who skillfully carved the marble to make it appear chipped, cracked and broken. To complete the illusion, the slab containing the names of the fallen Egan’s (on the floor of the tomb, covering the underground crypts) also appears to be cracked. Perhaps the tomb is a representation of life cut short: it contains the remains of two young Egan men who died in the Civil War, 24 year old Henry Egan who was killed at Amelia Springs, Virginia, on April 6, 1865, and 24 year old, Yelverton Egan, who was killed at the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) on September 17, 1863. The inscription above the Gothic arch, “Sic itur ad astra ”(Thus is accomplished the journey to the stars), is from Vergil, Book ix, line 641 written in 19 B.C.
Photos and text © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Metairie Cemetery” street=”5101 Pontchartrain Boulevard” city=”New Orleans” state=”Louisiana” zip=”70124″]
