'Waiting for Poe'

In front of the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, Massachusetts, is a multi-piece bronze and stone sculpture called “Waiting for Poe”. It memorializes the city’s connection to Edgar Allan Poe, the famous poet and horror author. 

Poe visited Westford multiple times due to his love for a woman named Nancy Richmond, whom he met at one of his lectures in 1848. He nicknamed her Annie, wrote poetry to her, and would visit her at her house, which still stands in Westford. However, Annie was married and Poe would die a year later.

The sculpture was unveiled in October 2023. It features a stone bench engraved with Poe’s autograph. On the bench rests a bronze top hat and walking stick. The top hat is engraved with words and phrases from the poet’s writings. Across from the bench perches a bronze raven, gazing at the spot.

According to the sculptor, David Christiana, he was inspired by the sudden ending to both Poe’s life and his relationship with Annie and the city of Westford. The idea behind the piece is that Poe left his hat and walking stick the last time he visited with his friends in Westford not realizing he would never return to retrieve them. Also, by creating it as a bench, people can sit and interact with the sculpture, waiting for Poe themselves.