Octavia LeVert's Salon and Birthday Celebration

Join us at Oakleigh for an intimate salon discussion about the life of Madame Octavia Walton LeVert. You will spend the evening with author Paula Webb, the foremost authority on the life of Octavia LeVert. A famous Mobile socialite, Madame LeVert was adored by all including poet Edgar Allan Poe. After meeting him at the age of 16, Poe dedicated one of his first poems to Octavia.

More about Octavia: Octavia Walton LeVert (also known as Madame LeVert) came from a prominent American family. Her grandfather, George Walton, Sr., was one of the youngest signers of the Declaration of Independence. Her father, George Walton, Jr., was secretary and interim governor of the West Florida Territory and was later Mayor of Mobile. She married Dr. Henry LeVert when she was 24 and continued to rise in popularity. She was friends with many prominent Americans, including Washington Irving, Henry Clay, and President McKinley. Poet Edgar Allan Poe even wrote a poem dedicated to her after they met. Madame LeVert also made two grand tours of Europe. Following these tours, her friends encouraged her to write a book about her experiences; she published a two-volume set entitled Souvenirs of Travel in 1857.