Written in Stone and Soil: The History of Maryland Cemeteries

Maryland’s story is written outside in stone and soil. From Native burial mounds to colonial churchyards; from enslaved people’s hidden resting places to the grand garden cemeteries of the Victorian age, our landscapes hold centuries of memory. But among the solemn monuments lie mysteries, including “witch’s graves,” the resting place of Edgar Allan Poe and his toaster, and even a Ouija board headstone. This talk traces the history of how Marylanders have honored the dead, Native, African-American, immigrant, and elite, while exploring the lore, and unexpected traditions, including the rise of pet cemeteries. Step into the graveyards of Maryland’s past, where history and legend walk side by side.

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