Text: Anonymous, “Grave of Poe's Mother Found,” Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA), whole no. 19,157, November 1, 1912, p. 6, col. 3

[page 6, column 3:]

After more than a year of diligent investigation on the part of S. P. Cowardin, the Raven Society of the University of Virginia has at last succeeded in locating at least approximately the grave of Elizabeth Arnold Poe, mother of Edgar Allan Poe. As definitely as can be ascertained, her body rests in the graveyard of old St. John's Church in Richmond, somewhere in the corner bounded by Broad and Twenty-fifth Streets.

The search unknown and unmarked grave tor the poet's mother was instituted Raven Society in order that some memorial might then be placed over the spot, should it be finally located. A fund for a monument has already been raised by this society, and it is the hope of the Raven Society to interest Paul W. Bartlett, the famous American sculptor who designed the Lafayette monument in Paris, in the scheme and to obtain his service for the memorial. It is understood that Mr. Bartlett is very keenly interested in Poe and the mystery of his mother's last resting place, and a national character would be given to the monument could his skill be had to design it. The funds at the disposal of the committee, which is headed by S. P. Cowardin, are rather limited, and Mr. Bartlett's services could not be obtained unless the artist cares to take up the idea from sentimental reasons.

Buried by Scotchmen.

Not only had the ravages of time destroyed whatever mark that was placed over the grave of Elizabeth Allan Poe on her burial, but even the simple mound earth her body had washed level with overs sod the course of years. She was an actress and in those days to be an actress was to incur the eternal wrath of the church. So when she died, and a plot in the cemetery was sought for her last resting place, opposition from St. John's vestry was immediately encountered.

At the time of her death she was dire poverty, alone in the world except for her brilliant but erratic son, and the expenses of her funeral were borne by two kind friends, Scotchmen by the names of Allan and McKenzie, the former of whom reared Edgar Allan Poe, her son. These two men, turned down by St. John's vestry, at last succeeded in obtaining concession from the city, which owned a large section of St. John's burying ground, and interred the actress's body there.

When Mr. Cowardin began his investigations to discover the location her grave, practically the only authentic data at his hands was an old letter, embodied in Mrs. Weiss's “Life of Edgar Allan Poe,” which states that the poet's mother was buried by the two Scotch gentlemen close to the east wall of John's burying ground. Further than that there was no reliable information to be had, either in old manuscripts or books. This bit of data was only too vague, as Mr. Cowardin found when he sought out the site, and attempted to find the eaxct [[exact]] spot where her body rests. By a process of elimination, he gradually narrowed down the possible location of her grave to radius of approximately thirty feet in the corner of the graveyard formed by the intersection of Broad and Twenty-fifth Streets, and it is proposed that the monument be placed in the centre of this circle.