The rebuilt fireplace is rustic and simple. On a primitive house such as this, the chimney would have been made from mud or clay. Many of the tombs are above the ground. You may have heard stories of the early French colonials in New Orleans burying their dead below the ground only to have the tombs float to the surface when flooding occurred. In other words, the colonials simply brought their traditions from home to the New World.
Some tombs are very elaborate structures of marble, capable of holding a number of coffins.
Some are built of brick and mortar, perhaps plastered and whitewashed. Many of the tombs incorporate symbolism into the overall design of the burial vault. The symbols are universal and the stonecutters used them all when designing tombstones. Vermilionville's cemetery uses wrought iron crosses to mark gravesites. Wrought iron crosses were chosen by the Acadians for economic reasons.