Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum facts for kids
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Edgar Allan Poe House
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Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland
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| Location | Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Built | 1830 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71001043 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1972 |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1972 |
The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum is a special place in Baltimore, Maryland. It was once the home of the famous American writer Edgar Allan Poe in the 1830s. This small, simple house became a writer's house museum in 1949. It looks like a typical row home you might see in a city. In 1972, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical site.
The museum had to close in October 2012 because of money problems. But a new group called Poe Baltimore worked hard to reopen it. They succeeded on October 5, 2013! Today, the house is also where the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards takes place every October.
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History of Poe's Baltimore Home
This brick house, now at 203 North Amity Street, was likely built in 1830. Poe's aunt, Maria Clemm, rented it in 1832. Her sick mother, Elizabeth Cairnes Poe, and her daughter, Virginia Clemm, lived there too. Edgar Allan Poe moved in with them in 1833. He was about 23 years old and had just left West Point. Virginia was 10 years old at the time. Poe later married Virginia when she was 13. Their public wedding ceremony was in 1836. Poe lived in this house from about 1833 to 1835.
The family paid for the house using pension money. This money came from Elizabeth's husband, David Poe Sr. He was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. The house is quite small. Poe's room on the top floor has a sloped ceiling. At its highest point, it's only six feet tall!
In the 1930s, many homes in the area were going to be torn down. This included Poe's house. The plan was to build a public housing project called "Poe Homes." But the [Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore] saved the house! They worked with the city. The house then opened as a museum in 1949.
The museum used to show many interesting items. These included a piece of Poe's hair and a small part of his coffin. There was also some original china that belonged to John Allan. He was Poe's guardian after his mother, Eliza Poe, died. You could also see a large copy of a portrait of Virginia Clemm. Many other Poe-related pictures were on display. An original newspaper article from 1849 about Poe's death was also shown. Plus, there was a copy of Poe's announcement for a new magazine. He wanted to call it The Stylus, but it was never created.
During renovations in 1979, workers found some bones under the floorboards. This reminded people of Poe's story "The Tell-Tale Heart." But it turned out they were just animal bones. They had been thrown into a "trash pit" under the house.
From 1980 to 2011, the museum held many Poe events. For example, they had the world's biggest Poe birthday party. This was held every January at the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. Poe was buried there after he died in October 1849. In 2009, the museum even held a pretend funeral for Poe. This was for his 200th birthday. Over 1,200 people attended the two services!
In 2011, the city of Baltimore reduced the money it gave to the museum. This led to the museum closing in 2012. The city stopped its $85,000 yearly support. The museum had been using its savings to stay open.
Many groups tried to help the museum. These included a project called Pennies For Poe. A theater group called Bedlam Ensemble also put on a play. Even the 2012 movie The Raven helped raise awareness.
The museum officially closed on September 28, 2012. The curator, Jeff Jerome, who had worked there for over 30 years, was let go. But in 2013, the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum reopened! This was thanks to Poe Baltimore, a new non-profit group. New events now include the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and the Saturday 'Visiter' Awards.
In 2020, the Poe House was added to a special list. It became part of the American Library Association's United For Libraries Literary Landmarks Register. This was the first historical site in Maryland to get this honor. The ceremony happened at the Poe House on Poe's birthday, January 19, 2020.
Poe Baltimore: Keeping Poe's Legacy Alive
In 2013, a new non-profit group called Poe Baltimore was created. Their job is to run and take care of the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. They successfully reopened the museum to the public on October 5, 2013. Poe Baltimore is an independent group. Its board and volunteers include members from the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. The museum now hosts monthly and yearly events. These happen at the Poe House and around Baltimore City.
In 2018, the museum started a new yearly event. It's called the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards (Poe Fest International). This is a two-day outdoor festival. It takes place near the Poe House. It celebrates the anniversary of Poe's mysterious death in Baltimore. The festival offers tours of other places in Baltimore connected to Poe. It also includes a funeral re-enactment at the historic Carroll Mansion. The festival attracted two thousand visitors in its first two years! In 2019, Poe Baltimore also created the Saturday 'Visiter' Awards. These awards honor art and writing inspired by Poe. The awards are named after the Baltimore Saturday Visiter, a newspaper. This paper gave Edgar Allan Poe first prize for his short story, MS Found in A Bottle, in 1833.
What the Poe House Looks Like
The Poe House is a 2+1⁄2 story brick building. It has a metal roof that slopes to a point. The front door is on the left side of the house. You walk up a few wooden steps to reach it. Another building is right next to the house on its north side. The south side of the house has no windows. A single window sticks out from the front roof. At the back, a two-story part sticks out from the south side. Its roof slopes down to the north. The house is located on the edge of a low-income housing area. This area is fittingly called The Poe Homes. It's in the west Baltimore neighborhood of Poppleton.
When you enter the house, you step into the front living room. Behind it, down two steps, is the dining room. From the dining room, narrow stairs lead to the basement and the second floor. There are two bedrooms on the second floor. More stairs lead to a small attic room. This small room might have been where Poe lived. The house still has most of its original wooden parts.
Works Written in This House
While it's hard to be completely sure, the Poe Society believes Poe wrote these works while living here:
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Stories
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Poems
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See also
- Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia
- Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia
- Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in the Bronx, New York
