A visit to Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church is a journey into the architectural and cultural history of Baltimore. Completed in 1872 as a self-proclaimed “Cathedral of Methodism,” this Norman-Gothic landmark was designed by noted Baltimore architects Thomas Dixon and Charles L. Carson. Rising in green serpentine stone beside the Washington Monument, the church initially provoked strong reactions from its Mount Vernon neighbors, who were unsettled by its dramatic scale, distinctive color, and soaring steeple. Over time, however, the church has become one of the most admired and defining features of Mount Vernon Place.

Join us to explore the eerie catacombs underneath Baltimore’s First Presbyterian Church, now called Westminster Hall, and the graves that surround it, including the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe. The burial ground predates the church, which was built on arches above the gravesites, so that the graveyard and its tombstones lie both underneath and around the building. We bet you will also recognize more than a few Baltimore street names as we walk among the patriots and civic leaders buried at Westminster including Calhoun, Hollins, Gilmore, and Bentalou. All told, the compact cemetery next to the University of Maryland School of Law is the final resting place for over 1,000 individuals. We can’t wait to see you “Where Baltimore’s History Rests in Peace!”