Edgar Allan Poe Society in Baltimore, Maryland, United States | Society

The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore in the United States was officially established following a commemorative celebration of Poe's birthday on January 19, 1923. The roots of the Edgar Allan Poe Society, however, pass through a number of previous organizations, reaching back more than fifty years earlier. Interest in erecting a monument which would be fitting to Poeâ??s memory began shortly after his death in 1849. The effort, however, would prove more difficult, both logistically and financially, than anyone anticipated, and it would be 25 years before it was accomplished. Chiefly through the efforts of Miss Sara Sigourney Rice (a Baltimore school teacher) and the Poe Memorial Fund (founded in 1865), the memorial was finally erected in the corner of Westminster Presbyterian Burying Ground (at Fayette and Greene Streets) and dedicated on November 17, 1875. Among those who would champion the cause were members of the Edgar Allan Poe Literary Association (founded in 1870, with Thomas B. Hand as its president) and what began about the same time as the Sorosis Literary Society (later known as the Womanâ??s Literary Club of Baltimore, 1907-1922). (Sorosis is a Greek word meaning a union of many into one. National chapters began as early as 1868.)
Since 1977, the Edgard Allan Poe Society has returned its efforts to focus on the annual commemorative lecture and associated publications. In addition, we continue to respond to as many inquires relating to Poe's life and works as our resources permit. In a typical year, the Poe Society receives dozens of letters from around the world, particularly from school children seeking general guidance for reports and other projects. Beginning in 1997, however, our primary means of providing information about Poe shifted to this website, which allows us to reach a far greater audience that any other means at our disposal. The Edgar Allan Poe Society is a legally established non-profit organization, incorporated in the state of Maryland. We have no paid employees, relying purely on voluntary efforts.