Maria Howard Weeden

Biography

Maria Howard Weeden (1846-1905) was a quiet luminary of the postbellum South, earning recognition for watercolors and verse that tenderly portrayed African American life. Eloquent and self-taught, she paired her poems with delicate illustrations to share stories of her community.

Her art celebrated the everyday people around her with dignity, leaving a body of work that still inspires admirers today; her grave at Maple Hill Cemetery anchors the memory of a gentle and empathetic storyteller.