When visitors think of Baltimore the first thing that usually comes to mind is the Inner Harbor. The Aquarium, Science Center and the USS Constellation are among the city’s most popular sites. But these attractions are very family-centric and have only limited appeal for business trips, solo travelers or visiting sports fans. One site that has interest for everyone is Edgar Allan Poe’s grave at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground.
About a 15 minute walk from the Inner Harbor, this former Presbyterian church is one of the most historic sites in a city where almost everything has at least some claim to historic interest. Poe’s Grave is close to Camden Yards and near most hotels. I recommended the Indigo Baltimore recently in a full review.
Where’s the Money? This site may contain affiliate links. Many travel sites include such links to earn a commission at no cost to readers.
The Life & Death of Edgar Allan Poe
It should go without saying how important Poe is to American Literature. I won’t spend time listing his most famous works and accomplishments. When it comes to legendary status he’s right up there with Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and Nathaniel Hawthorne. He’s that important. Even during his own life he was quite famous and successful. But that didn’t translate to wealth or personal satisfaction. A timeline of events in the author’s life shows a tumultuous existence with no real roots in any one place.
Indeed, Richmond, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Charleston all feature sites significant to the life of Poe. But it was Baltimore where he lived during the time he met his wife (also his first cousin). And it was Baltimore where he died under mysterious circumstances outside a tavern and polling place at 44 E. Lombard Street downtown. So it’s Baltimore that has Poe’s grave.
It’s also possible to see the home where Poe lived in Baltimore. It’s about a 15 minute walk west of Westminster Hall at 203 N. Amity Street. However I do not recommend you try to see it. A bleak and poorly maintained housing project encircles the house completely. The neighborhood is one of the most dangerous areas in a city with a great reputation for crime and violence.
I’ve visited the Poe House previously and it is tiny. It’s just 5 small rooms and maybe 700 square feet total. You’d be much better off watching this video tour than visiting the house in person.
Poe’s Grave at Westminster Hall
What makes Westminster Hall perhaps the best attraction in Baltimore is how easy it is to see the place. You might even stumble on Poe’s grave by accident. It’s just right there on the street corner at Greene and Fayette downtown. The site is directly north of Oriole Park and very close to the popular Lexington Market food hall.
While it’s possible to arrange a full tour of Westminster Hall, virtually everyone is more interested in seeing Poe’s Grave. The gates open every day from 8:00 to 5:00 for anyone who wants to look around the grounds for free. There’s a display about the life of Poe and the site is ideal for capturing selfies and Instagram posts.
Poe’s original gravesite was in a different spot at Westminster Hall. His remains and those of his wife and mother in law moved to plot number 1 in 1875. A local schoolteacher at that time started a “Pennies for Poe” campaign to raise money. The funds she raised financed the current monument.
Tradition of the Poe Toaster
From at least 1949 the original site of Poe’s Grave at the rear of Westminster Hall was the center of an infamous annual tradition. In the hours after midnight on Poe’s birthday, January 19, a mysterious character made appearances at the Poe family plot. He’d raise a glass of Martell cognac in the author’s memory before leaving the bottle and three roses at the headstone.
The Poe Toaster was known to wear black with a large hat and a white scarf but was rarely seen. Only one blurry photo exists of him at the grave site. Crowds gathered annually hoping to get a glimpse of the ritual. However, a January night in Baltimore is long and cold. These gatherings were typically small and centered around people with a strong connection to Poe such as those involved with the Poe House and museum.
There was much media interest in the Poe Toaster. There was also an understanding that making a great effort to document the visits risked the continuity of the tradition.
The ritual came to an end unexpectedly in 2009. Widespread speculation holds the final Poe Toaster was Baltimore artist and gadfly David Franks. Franks died a few days before Poe’s birthday in 2010.
Rafael Alvarez is a legendary Baltimore writer in his own right. Author of the excellent Tales from the Holy Land and Crabtown, USA he also wrote the bulk of The Wire and a book about the show. Alvarez was president of the Poe Society at the time and if he claimed publicly that Franks was the Poe Toaster I believe him.
The tradition was since revived by the Maryland Historical Society but is no longer the phenomenon it was for decades in Baltimore.
Other Notable Graves at Westminster Hall
The burying ground at Westminster Hall dates to 1787. At the time of its establishment the town of Baltimore centered around the Jones Falls and Patapsco River. It had not yet expanded as far west as Greene Street by 1787. The Presbyterians who purchased land directly from John Eager Howard were a group of prominent citizens including William Patterson. This group had previously established the first Presbyterian congregation in the city. Their church was further east on Fayette at Gay Street.
Most members of that congregation purchased plots in the burying ground. A full survey of plot owners is online here. Like Patterson and Howard, many of Westminster Hall’s gravestones share the names of streets in Baltimore. Gilmor, Stricker, McHenry, Calhoun, and Key to name a few. Many graves here belong to veterans of the American Revolution and War of 1812, often with high rank. One such grave belongs to David Poe Sr, grandfather of the author whose plot is next to the original site of Poe’s Grave.
What to Expect When Visiting Poe’s Grave
One of the best things about visiting Westminster Hall is that you can just take a quick 5 minutes to snap a photo and look around. Those more interested in history can spend 60-90 minutes exploring the entire grounds. Informational placards around the property give context for many of the grave sites. It’s a quiet and shady place in the midst of a busy downtown. There are a few large medical institutions in the immediate vicinity. You might encounter a healthcare worker on a break, but generally it’s not crowded at all.
For those less interested in spending time at the Inner Harbor there are a number of points of interest near Poe’s Grave. Lexington Market is a historic marketplace that dates from the same era as Westminster Hall. The recently renovated market sits on land that was also part of John Eager Howard’s estate. Howard’s grave is in the nearby Old Saint Paul’s Cemetery, although it’s not open to the public. The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum is an easy walk and the Maryland Historical Society Museum, Walters Art Gallery (free) and Peabody Library (free) are north of Lexington Market and both walkable from Poe’s Grave and major hotels.
