OUR FAMILY’S STORY
The History of the Farrow Family Plot
The Legacy of McDonoghville Cemetery
In the early 1800s, John McDonogh, a young merchant, arrived in New Orleans to seek his fortune and soon put down roots across the river.[1] He established a plantation on the land that is now McDonoghville Cemetery in Gretna, Louisiana.[2] A slaveholder whose enslaved workforce grew to nearly 200 men, women, and children at its height, McDonogh taught many of them skilled trades, including carpentry and brick masonry.[3] When his enslaved workers died, he set aside ground behind his plantation to lay them to rest.
In his will, McDonogh directed that this land be used for the burial of formerly enslaved people and people of color.[2] Over time, the cemetery expanded to include white burials as well.[4] McDonogh himself was first entombed there upon his death in 1850, before his remains were later exhumed and ultimately laid to rest in Maryland.[5]
Our Educational Connection
McDonogh’s will also directed that his fortune be used to build public schools for both Black and white children in New Orleans and Baltimore.[6] This history is woven into our own family’s story — most of the Farrow clan was educated at McDonogh #35 High School and McDonogh #32 Elementary School, schools that carry his name and legacy to this day.
The Farrow Family Heritage
Decades later, Daniel Farrow purchased a plot of ground in McDonoghville Cemetery to serve as a permanent gathering place for our family — paying approximately $300, a considerable sum at the time. Today, 18 of our cherished loved ones rest side by side at McDonoghville Cemetery.
Sources
- “John McDonogh.” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McDonogh
- “McDonoghville Cemetery in Gretna, Louisiana.” Find a Grave. findagrave.com/cemetery/68164
- “John McDonogh.” 64 Parishes. 64parishes.org/entry/john-mcdonogh
- “14. McDonoghville Cemetery.” Gretna Historical Society. gretnahistoricalsociety.org
- “Rules for Living.” Wikipedia (details McDonogh’s 1850, 1860, and 1945 reinterments). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_Living
- “John McDonogh and Slavery.” McDonogh School — Our History. mcdonogh.org/about/history/essay