
![]() Quahog.org > Attractions > Grave of H.P. Lovecraft Grave of H.P. LovecraftThe cosmic worms go in, the cosmic worms go out. Lot 5, Group 281, Swan Point Cemetery, 585 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence Noted horror writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in Providence on August 20, 1890. A precocious child, he was reciting poetry at age two, reading at age three, and writing at age six or seven. He became a published author at sixteen, by penning a monthly newspaper column on astronomy. His interest in the weird was fostered by his grandfather, who entertained young Lovecraft with imaginative tales of the macabre. In 1923, the publication of Lovecraft's short story, "Dagon," marked the beginning of his career as a regular contributor to such popular pulp magazines as Weird Tales, Amazing Stories, Astounding Stories, and Tales of Magic & Mystery.
On March 3, 1924, Lovecraft married Sonia Haft Greene, another writer, and lived with her briefly in Brooklyn, New York. It seemed a good match, but the marriage ultimately succumbed to financial troubles, Sonia's poor health, and the disapproval of Lovecraft's surviving relatives. In 1926, Lovecraft returned alone to Providence, where he lived and wrote until his death from cancer of the intestine and kidney failure on March 15, 1937. Lovecraft published only one book during his lifetime, a badly bound edition of The Shadow Over Innsmouth. His work might well have faded into oblivion had not two of his friends and protégés, August Derleth and Donald Wandrei, founded Arkham House to collect and publish Lovecraft's work. In 1939 they issued The Outsider and Others, and many more titles followed over the ensuing years. Today, due in large part to the efforts of Derleth and Wandrei, Lovecraft is known around the world as one of the greats of early horror and science fiction.
A Sixty-Year Rest DisturbedAlthough it is nearby, Lovecraft's body does not actually lie beneath his donated headstone, a fact that was evidently unknown to the person or persons who, on the night of October 13, 1997, apparently tried to dig him up. The hole was discovered on the morning of the 14th by a Swan Point security guard. It was about three feet deep and the dirt at the bottom appeared to be undisturbed. Did the diggers merely give up, or were they spooked? Other than the hole itself, the only evidence they left behind was a single footprint. Once it was determined that no coffin or vault had been breached, police allowed cemetery workers to refill the hole. Lovecraft was probably never in any real danger of being taken for a ride. Even if the nocturnal excavators had been more resolute, and even if they had been in the right spot, they very likely would have been thwarted by the heavy lid of a concrete coffin liner. Such lids weigh a couple of tons and require heavy machinery to lower them into place. Getting Closer to the MasterThe H.P. Lovecraft Commemorative Service Walking Tours Grave Inscriptions
Related LinksThe H.P. Lovecraft Commemorative Serviceby Carl Johnson
As a tribute to the unique talent and literary contributions of H.P. Lovecraft, a commemorative service open to free public attendance is conducted annually at a location significant to H.P. Lovecraft's life. This service, since the first one held in 1987 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft's passing, has become something of a Providence tradition.
Although he prided himself on his implacable sense of the rational, relying on scientific observation to interpret the world around him and disavowing any belief in things supernatural, maybe Mr. Lovecraft was in his own way letting us know of his bemusement at all the commotion concerning him, by augmenting the proceedings. But that is mere speculation, and of a decidedly "unscientific" nature. Check Quahog.org's events calendar for the next H.P. Lovecraft Commemorative Service. It usually takes place at 3pm on a Sunday in March at the Ladd Observatory (1891), 210 Doyle Avenue, Providence. For further information concerning this event, as well as future projects such as lectures, walking tours, and dramatic performances organized by the H.P. Lovecraft Commemorative Activities Committee, please call (401) 732-4870, or email ConstableCJ@Hotmail.com. Carl Johnson is a part-time actor and native of Rhode Island with blood ties (through his mother) to both Roger Williams and H.P. Lovecraft. In 1988 and 1991 he had the privilege of portraying the Old Gent of Providence in Night Gaunts, a play by poet Brett Rutherford. InformationCost: free Time required: allow 15 minutes Hours: daily 8am-7pm during Daylight Savings Time (summer); 8am-5pm during Standard Time (winter) Remember, this is a cemetery. Please be respectful. Finding it: from the north: take exit 27 off Route 95; turn east onto East Street and go two blocks to a fork; bear left at the fork; go 0.8 miles and turn left onto Blackstone Boulevard; Swan Point is the second left across the Boulevard. From the south: Take exit 3 off Route 195; turn right onto Gano Street; go north on Gano to Waterman Street; turn right on Waterman; at the second light, turn left onto Butler Avenue; Butler turns into Blackstone Boulevard; Swan Point is 1.7 miles on the right. What’s nearbyDistances between points are actual distances, without regard to bridges or glandular leopards. Your travel distance will be longer. This article last edited September 10, 2011 © 1999–2021 Quahog.org (with the exception of elements provided by contributors, as noted). |
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