Nevermore? Mystery visitor misses Poe's birthday, page 1

I was just about to start a thread on this and glad to see that I am not the only one thinking of this story.

This is very sad news. It has been a tradition here for a long time. The poe grave is a big attraction for Baltimore.

It would be like not having groundhog day in Punxataney.

If you are ever in the area, the cemetary, poe or not, is something to see. It is quite extraordinary, creepy, and something to see. I am a cemetary buff, and have never seen anything like it.

Another tradition is to leave pennies on Poes' grave.

Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849. Even in death, he has continued to confuse and inspire the people of Baltimore. Nothing better demonstrates this than the site of Poe's Grave.
In October 1849, Poe was buried at the family plot in the Westminster Burying Grounds. Because it was a family lot and the Poe family wasn't rich, there was no headstone. In fact, the grave wasn't marked at all until a few years after his death. A sympathetic Church sexton placed a small sandstone block with the number 80 by Poe's grave. Relatives learned of the sad condition of the grave in 1860. They commissioned a stone carver to create a small headstone. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in a train accident, and the family was too poor to have a new one made.

Then, near the end of the Civil War, an organization of citizens decided the famous poet deserved a memorial. School children around town collected pennies for Poe's grave. A Philadelphia man donated a large sum of money. Others in the city and beyond gave what they could. With the money that was collected, the citizens purchased a white marble memorial to be placed in the graveyard. The city decided that such a memorial shouldn't be in the back of the graveyard, where the Poe family plots were. So they dug up Poe's remains and moved them to the front corner of the grounds, closest to Fayette Street. The monument was dedicated in 1875. Among others, John H. B. Latrobe and the famous poet Walt Whitman attended the ceremony.

knowing poe

So where Poe is buried now is not the original spot. And there is some local myths that they really don't know where his body is in the cemetary. Kind of like a Mozart thing.

It was like a hurricane blew a bunch of old graves and abstract mosoleums around and left them there. You can see why it has so much mystery.

The cemetary was built before the church. Is not very big. So they actually have the basement full of graves.

Now, the historical society has to be in on the visitor, whoever they may be. Even a worker. For all you know, it is a different person every year.
Because it is locked behind a wall. And not easy to get into. Someone jumpoing over a high cement fence would be pretty noticeable. So someone had to let the person in. So there is more then one person in on the visits.

I actually predicted this was going to happen. The Poe toaster ceasing. Becuase in recent years people have been trying to film, him, catch him. Have been acting like paparazzi. Clips had shown up on the news

It kind of takes the fun out of it. And they should of just let it be.

So my theory is that it was technology that brought it to the end. I doubt they will ever come back. YOu don't miss a year in a tradition like that.