At a meeting of the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery on Tuesday, August 3rd at the John Marshall Foundation Board Room, Doug Welsh, current president, announced his intention to resign from his position. He will act in an advisory role for six months. The board is seeking new leadership at this time. The next board meeting is scheduled for November.
You can read the President’s Report below:
I am happy to report that in the ten weeks since our last board meeting (3)
Great second performance Friday night by Haunts of Richmond……hats off to Chris Patrick as Edgar Allan Poe, Angelica Karns as Virginia Poe, Sarah Legere as Frances Allan, Debbie Phillips as Elmira Royster Shelton, Stephanie Riggsby as Dark Minion, Ryan Sligh as Dark Minion, Kate Vehrs as Eliza White and Will Verhrs as John Allan……
Each performance has been sold out. Last production tonight at 8pm.
In 1998 the John Marshall family grave site was restored by the John Marshall Foundation. Nearly $100,000 was raised to refurbish the above ground tombs which had fallen into disrepair. This was one of the first significant restorations at the cemetery in recent time. The link below will take you to an article reporting on the rededication event.
Come join us and celebrate the many revolutionary war veterans who are buried here at Shockoe Hill Cemetery. Captain John Marshall, who later became the “Great Chief Justice,” served five consecutive years, never quitting, but remaining until the end of the end of the American Revolution.
Title: Edgar Allan Poe Haunted Homecoming Tour
What: A dramatic nighttime tour of Shockoe Hill Cemetery,
based on the many loved ones of Edgar Allan Poe who
are buried there. The tour is led by Poe himself,
as he guides visitors through his old haunting grounds
and interacts with the “spirits” of those he knew while
living in Richmond.
Capacity for this unique theatrical tour is very limited.
When: Thursday, July 15th 8:00 PM
Friday, July 16th, 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 17th, 8:00 PM
Where: Shockoe Hill Cemetery
4th & Hospital Streets
Richmond, VA 23219
Price: $18 for adults, $15 for children under 14
Tickets and info: Online at www.hauntsofrichmond.com
or call 804-343-3700
Media Contacts: Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery
Doug Welsh
dougcwelsh@gmail.com
(804-339-6007)
Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Chris Semtner
chris@poemuseum.org
804-648-5523
Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours
Scott Bergman
scottb@hauntsofrichmond.com
804-513-8925
Retired LTC Woody Bentley contacted the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery last fall about the possibility of restoring his family plot. Cold and wintery weather delayed the work. This weekend Carl Gainey, a restoration contractor, leveled, realigned, patched and resurfaced the exterior plot curbing and regraded the interior grounds. Grass seed was applied and we are now waiting for mother nature green-up the entire quarter section. We owe LTC Bentley a special thank you, as this is the first family plot to be reclaimed and repaired since the Friends group formed in 2006. There are now two other families investing in their plots. It is a bit of a dream come true!
Dr. Nicolas Wolf
Music, storytelling, and a bit of Irish History — but no Irish whiskey — will headline an early St. Patrick’s Day event at Shockoe Hill Cemetery on Sunday, March 14th, from 12 Noon to 3 p.m.
Music, storytelling, and a bit of Irish History — but no Irish whiskey — will headline an early St. Patrick’s Day event at Shockoe Hill Cemetery on Sunday, March 14th, from 12 Noon to 3 p.m.
The toil and triumph of Irish immigrants to Richmond and elsewhere in the South in the 1800s and 1900s will be the focus of Dr. Nicholas Wolf, assistant professor of history at VCU. Dr. Wolf is a specialist in the history and fortunes of Ireland and her immigrant sons and daughters who helped re-make the face of Richmond.
Denise Bennett, from the Virginia Storytelling Alliance, will honor the long Irish performance tradition by playing her harp and singing Irish folk tunes — a sure favorite for kids and adults alike.
Over twenty guests and families arrived on a cold Valentine’s Day to hear Edgar Allan Poe and Chief Justice John Marshall Scholars, Chris Semtner and Sylvia Evans. Chris lead the double-lecture offering with a fascinating glimpse into Edgar’s life and interest in Sarah Elmira Royster—-his “first and last love.” Offering numerous images of Poe, often not seen, Chris described Edgar’s unending passion for Elmira over time and her own devoted interest in him, even after his untimely death in Baltimore. Sylvia Evans offered a unique look into the enduring love John Marshall showed for his wife “Polly” ( Mary Ambler Marshall). John showed special devotion to his wife through each chapter of their lives together, both in good times and those fraught with crisis and loss. We we very lucky to have such devoted scholars share their very in-depth and personal research with us.
