Famous Graves #1-Poe

Last week, Eulogies by Aubrey shared a blog post on The Grave of Johnny Appleseed (see http://www.eulogiesbyaubrey.com/blog/the-grave-of-johnny-appleseed#/). It was shown a lot of love, so today we bring you the very first installment of our new “Famous Graves” series! Come back soon to learn about more famous final resting places from all over the world.
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The Famous Grave of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Baltimore, Maryland

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and poet who led a sad and, some would say, eccentric life. Known for such haunting writings including “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” and (my personal favorite) “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Poe’s rise to fame was unfortunately posthumous. The genius of his writings only began to truly seize the nation, and inevitably the world, years after his death.
 
While the exact cause of Poe’s death is not known, it is said that not long before he died, he was seen out wondering in the cold, looking dazed and acting hysterical. He was taken to the hospital, but succumbed there to his mysterious ailment. He was only 40 years old when he passed, and interestingly, there is no certificate of death on file nor any medical records available. He last words were reportedly “Lord, help my poor soul.”
 
Edgar Allan Poe was originally buried in an unmarked location, behind Westminster Hall in Baltimore,  following a small funeral in 1849. In 1875, he was exhumed and his body moved from the back to the front of the churchyard, with a large monument erected in his honor. In 2009, a memorial service worthy of his legacy was held in Baltimore, complete with eulogists and even a wax effigy.

Poe's second and final resting place, Westminster Hall in Baltimore

The Poe Toaster
For over 70 years, an unknown person paid respects at Poe’s original grave site every January 19th, to mark the writer’s birthday. Known as “The Poe Toaster,” the cloaked man would simply arrive at the site at night, pour a glass of cognac and raise it in the air as a toast to Poe, and then disappear. Whoever he was, his annual visits ceased in 1998, presumably following his own death.

Cenotaph marking Poe's original burial site, and where The Poe Toaster paid his respects.

In 2016, the Maryland Historical Society appointed a new “Poe Toaster” to continue this beloved tradition.
 
If you would like to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe and his famous grave, below are a couple of links that may be of interest to you.
 
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/edgar-allan-poe-s-grave
 
https://www.eapoe.org/balt/poegrave.htm
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That’s it for Famous Graves #1! We hope you enjoyed reading today. Stay tuned for Famous Graves #2, coming soon!
 
-Aubrey