Text: Anonymous, “Poe Memorial Put on Wrong Grave,” Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD), vol. XXI, no. 82, July 23, 1920, p. 26, col. 1

[page 26, column 1:]

For eight years a white marble headstone has been standing in a lot by the east wall of the Westminster Churchyard, bearing the information that it marks the spot where the remains of Edgar Allan Poe were first laid to rest. Now comes the startling discovery, made by Miss May Garrettson Evans, of the Peabody Conservatory, that the marker is not over the Poe burial place at all: is not even in the Poe lot. but stands above all that is mortal of the late Septimus Tustin, who was born and died many years before Poe's time.

How the mistake was made may ever remain a mystery, an the man through whose generosity and enthusiasm for the genius of Poe the marker was erected has since died. That man was the late Orrin C. Painter, the donor of the handsome wrought iron gateway that has made it possible for the public to get an unobstructed view of the supposed resting place of the immortal Baltimore poet. The two tributes to the memory of Poe were made by Mr. Painter at the same time, and it is supposed that he was misinformed as to the exact location of the original Poe grave and the spot which he selected as the site for the marker was accepted without serious questioning.

An Authority On Poe.

A lifelong admirer of Poe, Miss Evans years ago took an active interest in acquainting herself with every available bit of data concerning the life and death of the literary genius, particularly that part of his history in which Baltimore has figured.

She had many interviews with George W. Spence, the old sexton of Westminster Presbyterian Church, who had worked in and about the churchyard for 70 years, had helped to bury Poe and later to disinter his bones for removal to their present resting place. The removal was made by the Baltimore school teachers.

Spence, Miss says, frequently pointed out to her the Poe lot so that she had a very definite idea of its location. It was this recollection that first led to the discovery that Poe's original grave lies unmarked. Moved recently to make a pilgrimage to the old Poe lot, Miss Evans made her way into the rear of the Westminster Churchyard. While there her eye caught the conspicuous newness of the Poe marker among the timeworn and toppling tombstones that mark the graves of many distinguished citizens of generations by. She read on the more modern stone the statement that it marked the original grave of Poe in amazement, for it by no means conformed to her sense of location.

Confirmed By Photographs.

Fortunately Miss Evans was not entirely dependent upon her recollection. Some years ago, when she was a “cub” reporter on THE SUN and, Incidentally, the first woman to engage in newspaper work in Baltimore, Miss Evans had interested George O. Brown, another member of the staff and an enthusiastic amateur photographer, in the Poe burial place. Directed by Spence, she had Brown take some views of the lot. These photographs are still in her possession, and she made immediate reference to them to satiety the question that had been raised in her mind.

The photographs, she says, confirmed her recollection. The surrounding tombstones and walnuts made the identification unmistakable, Even so, Miss Evans did not stop with this confirmation, Delving into the records of the burial ground, which are in the custody of W. Hall Harris, into the family chronicles of the Poes, and by consultation with others who were in possession of facts concerning the Poe lot, she has become more and more convinced that an error has been made.

Clearly Tustin Lot.

On the old plats of the churchyard the grave which is now marked as that of Poe was identified an a part of the lot belonging to Septimus Tustin, grandfather of Septimus Paul Tustin, the Baltimore civil engineer and surveyor, who resides at 114 Montebello Terrace. Miss Evans interviewed Mr. Tustin with respect to the lot, asking if he had ever given permission to anyone to erect the Poe marker on his grandfather's lot. Mr. Tustin assured her that he had never done so, in fact, was not aware that the stone had been placed there. He further stated that he had never heard of Poe being buried in the Tustin lot.

Miss Evans is now interesting herself in the correction of the error. W. Hall Harris has informed her that she will have to secure the permission of Mr. Tustin to remove the stone and the permission of the Poe family to erect it on the Poe lot. There will be no difficulty so far as this is concerned. Mr. Tustin has already given assurances that he will raise no objection to the marker being removed.