Westminster Hall

Westminster Hall and Burying Ground is a historic site in Baltimore, Maryland, located at the corner of West Fayette Street and North Greene Street on the west side of downtown. The grounds include an old cemetery and a former church that now serves as Westminster Hall, a venue for public events. The complex sits on the campus of the University of Maryland School of Law and was designated a National Historic District in 1974. Originally laid out by the First Presbyterian Church in 1787, the cemetery served for centuries as the final resting place of influential merchants, politicians, and veterans of the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

The present Westminster Hall was built in 1852 in the Gothic Revival style. Its brick walls rest directly on gravestones and burial vaults, which gave rise to the nickname "the catacombs." The church served its congregation for several decades before being abandoned in the late 20th century and eventually taken over by the university. After a comprehensive renovation by the Westminster Preservation Trust, the building is now open to the public. You can admire the restored organ and explore the cemetery, with more than twenty informative signs describing the lives of the people buried there.

The site owes its special significance to the burial of the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe, who was laid to rest here in October 1849. His original grave is marked by a headstone engraved with a raven. A grand marble monument was erected later, uniting Poe, his wife Virginia, and his mother-in-law Maria Clemm. The site attracts many visitors every year, especially during commemorations of Poe's birthday and the anniversary of his death. The tradition of the "Poe Toaster," who paid tribute at the grave every year, is a well-known cultural phenomenon that reflects Baltimore's enduring fascination with the poet.