Capitol District in Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Edgar Allen Poe
Erected 1958 by George Edward Barksdale, M.D.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music.
Location. 37° 32.367′ N, 77° 26.089′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. It is in the Capitol District. Marker is located in Capitol Square. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Richmond VA 23219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Voices from the Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Voices from the Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Zero Milestone (within shouting distance of this marker); Mantle (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bell Tower (within shouting distance of this marker); George Washington Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Inauguration of Davis (within shouting distance of this marker); Harry Flood Byrd (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond.
More about this marker. Charles Rudy created this sculpture in 1957, and cast it at the Modern Art Foundry of New York. It features a seated portrait of Edgar Allan Poe holding a writing tablet in his proper left hand and a pen in his proper right hand. Three books are piled beneath his chair. The sculpture rests on a square granite base. The bronze sculpture stands approximately five feet tall on a four foot pink granite base.
The sculpture, which cost $9,500, was a gift of retired Richmond physician and Poe admirer, Dr. George Edward Barksdale, who wanted the city's visitors to remember Edgar Allan Poe's connection to Richmond. Although Poe was born in Boston, he was adopted by a Richmond family when he was three and raised in Richmond, later attending the University of Virginia and working for a time in Virginia. The sculpture was finished in 1957, but languished in a warehouse pending approval of a suitable site on Capitol Square. In January 1958, installation plans were set in motion by a state appropriation of $2,500 to place the sculpture in Capitol Square.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,913 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 2. submitted on June 5, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 4. submitted on November 5, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 5. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.