Shockoe Hill Cemetery

Book excerpt: Established in 1822, Shockoe Hill Cemetery is the final resting place for many famous and infamous icons of Richmond. Most visited is the tomb of Chief Justice John Marshall, the longest-serving chief justice of the United States, who elevated the Supreme Court to equal standing with the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew operated an extensive espionage ring during the Civil War, and though reviled in life by many who resented her activism, she rests prominently near her elite neighbors. The burial places of friends and foster family offer a glimpse into Edgar Allan Poe's personal story. Author Alyson Lindsey Taylor-White charts the history of the celebrated cemetery and brings to life the stories of those buried there.