Horror writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe was buried (twice) on the grounds of Westminster Hall. His body was first deposited in an unmarked grave behind the church after his unfortunate death in 1849. In 1875, his remains were moved to the northwest corner of the property, where they are now marked by a sturdy four-sided monument.
The unveiling of the new site was attended by Walt Whitman and letters from Lord Alfred Tennyson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were read out. Later the remains of Poe’s wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe who died of tuberculosis two years prior to Poe, were exhumed and buried with him.
Tombstone inscription
The tombstone is inscribed with a quotation from “The Raven”, but as with everything about Poe, the placement and content of his tombstone has not been without controversy. Even the engraved birthday on the tombstone is incorrect. Poe was born on January 19, not January 20.
But how did Edgar Allan Poe die?
There are many theories on what was the cause of Edgar Allan Poe’s death at the age of 40 in October 1849: murder, flu, alcoholicism, mercury poisoning....
The official cause listed on his death certificate is phrenitis or swelling of the brain. The reason he was suffering from it, plus the delirium tremors and hallucinations in the days leading up to his passing, remain the source of continued speculation.
