| Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | 530-532 N. 7th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 1 acre (4,046 m²) |
| Built/Founded: | Early 1840s |
| Added to NRHP: | 1966 |
| Visitation: | 11,879 (in 2005) |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000689 |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site is a preserved home once rented by American author Edgar Allan Poe, located in the Spring Garden neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though Poe lived in many houses over several years in Philadelphia (1837 to 1844),[1] it is the only which still survives.[2]
Contents |
History of the home
Located in the now defunct Spring Garden district on the northern edge of town[3] Poe rented the house early in 1843. It is believed to have lived there for about a year or less[4] along with his wife Virginia and his aunt/mother-in-law Maria Clemm. Their choice to move may have been prompted by Virginia's health.[3] In a letter to James Russell Lowell dated June 20, 1843, Poe invites Lowell to visit him: "My address is 234 North Seventh St., above Spring Garden, West Side."[5] It is uncertain when the family moved into the home, which was then at the corner of Seventh Street and Brandywine Alley[4] (no longer extant). A neighbor later recalled: "Mrs. Clemm was always busy. I have seen her mornings clearing the front yard, washing the windows and the stoop, and even white-washing the palings. You would notice how clean and orderly everything looks."[3] Poe occasionally had difficulty paying rent, though the landlord, a plumber, was tolerant of this.[3] The family moved out the first week in April 1844 and made their way to New York.[6] Though it is unknown which works Poe wrote while living in this home, during his time in Philadelphia he published some of his most well-known works, including "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "The Gold-Bug".[1] The cellar in the house resembles the one in "The Black Cat," also written while Poe lived in Philadelphia. Several families lived in the home after Poe until it was purchased by Richard Gimbel, son of the founder of Gimbels department store, in 1933.[2] An avid fan of Poe, he refurbished the home and opened it as a museum. In his will, he left the property to the city of Philadelphia. The National Park Service began overseeing the property in 1978, reopening the museum in 1980.[7]
Museum today
The site combines both Poe's former residence and two adjoining houses which were not built until after Poe left Philadelphia.[4] The rooms of the house are left in arrested decay and are not furnished to look like they did during Poe's time.[2] The neighboring residences include a welcome area, gift shop, a film screening room, and some minor exhibits. The site also includes a reading room decorated based on Poe's theories in "The Philosophy of Furniture." This, the only room on the site furnished to look like the 19th century, is not part of Poe's original home and is not meant to suggest Poe had a similarly decorated room.[8] The collection includes a collection of Poe's criticism, "autography" series, and audio interpretations of his work. A statue outside of the home depicts a large raven, representative of one of Poe's most famous poems, "The Raven". The site is affiliated with the Independence National Historical Park. The home is open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Paid membership in the Friends of Poe society aids in the upkeep of the home.
Photo gallery
 530-532 N. 7th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
 View of the Poe Historic Site from 7th Street. Visitors entrance is the door on the right. |
 A detail of the raven statue outside the home. |
 The reading room at the Poe National Historic Site, based on Poe's essay "The Philosophy of Furniture." |
See also
| Philadelphia Portal |
| Edgar Allan Poe Portal |
- Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland
- Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia
- Center City, Philadelphia
External links
References
- ^ a b Haas, Irvin. Historic Homes of American Authors. Washington, DC: The Preservation Press, 1991. ISBN 0891331808. p. 183
- ^ a b c Haas, Irvin. Historic Homes of American Authors. Washington, DC: The Preservation Press, 1991. ISBN 0891331808. p. 185
- ^ a b c d Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. ISBN 0815410387. p. 147
- ^ a b c Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biobraphy. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. ISBN 0801857309. p. 385.
- ^ Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biobraphy. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. ISBN 0801857309. p. 384.
- ^ Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991. ISBN 0060923318. p. 219.
- ^ National Parks journalism project, University of Miami
- ^ Neimeyer, Mark. "Poe and popular culture" as collected in The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe, Kevin J. Hayes, editor. Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN 0521797276 pp. 211-2
