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 from that time. In 1972, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical site.
The museum had to close for a short time in October 2012 because of money problems. But a new group called Poe Baltimore helped reopen it 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 Home
This brick house, now at 203 North Amity Street, was likely built in 1830. Edgar Allan Poe's aunt, Maria Clemm, rented it in 1832. Her mother, Elizabeth Cairnes Poe, and her daughter, Virginia Clemm, also lived there. Edgar Allan Poe moved in with them in 1833. He was about 23 years old and had just left West Point. Virginia was only 10 at the time. Poe later married Virginia three years later, in 1836. He 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., who was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. The house is quite small. Poe's room on the top floor has a sloped ceiling that is only six feet high at its tallest point.
Saving the Poe House
In the 1930s, many homes in this area were going to be torn down. This was to make space for a new public housing project called "Poe Homes." But the [Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore] worked hard to save Poe's house. They made a deal with the city. Thanks to their efforts, the house opened as [The Baltimore Poe House] in 1949.
The museum used to show many interesting items. These included a lock of Poe's hair and a small piece of his coffin. There was also some original china that belonged to John Allan, who was Poe's guardian. Visitors could also see a large copy of a portrait of Virginia Clemm. An original 1849 obituary about Poe was also on display.
Unusual Discovery
In 1979, during some renovations, workers lifted the floorboards. They found some skeletal remains! This reminded people of Poe's famous story, "The Tell-Tale Heart." But don't worry, these were just animal bones. They had been thrown into a "trash pit" or midden under the house a long time ago.
Museum Events and Challenges
From 1980 to 2011, the museum held many Poe-themed events. For example, they claimed to have the biggest Poe birthday celebration in the world. This event happened 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 at Westminster Hall. Over 1,200 people came to two services.
In 2011, the city of Baltimore reduced the money it gave to the museum. This decision led to the museum closing in 2012. The city stopped its $85,000 yearly support. The museum then used its own savings to keep going. Many groups tried to help save the museum. These included a project called [Pennies For Poe] and a theater company called [Bedlam Ensemble]. The 2012 movie The Raven also helped bring attention to Poe.
In September 2012, the museum closed without much warning. Jeff Jerome, who had been the museum's curator for over 30 years, lost his job.
Reopening and New Programs
In 2013, the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum reopened to the public. A new non-profit group called Poe Baltimore took over running it. They reopened the museum on October 5, 2013. New yearly events at Poe House include The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and the Saturday 'Visiter' Awards.
In 2020, the Poe House was added to the American Library Association's United For Libraries Literary Landmarks Register. It was the first historical site in Maryland to get this honor. The special ceremony happened at Poe House on Poe's birthday, January 19, 2020.
Poe Baltimore Organization
Poe Baltimore is a non-profit organization. It was started in 2013 to manage and run the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. This group is independent. Its board of directors and volunteers include members from the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. Poe Baltimore hosts events at the house and around the city all year.
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 held near the Poe House. It remembers the anniversary of Poe's mysterious death in Baltimore. The festival also offers tours of other places in Baltimore connected to Poe. It even has a pretend funeral at the historic Carroll Mansion. The festival attracted two thousand visitors in its first two years. In 2019, Poe Baltimore 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 that gave Edgar Allan Poe first prize for his short story, MS Found in A Bottle, in 1833.
House Description
The Poe House is a 2+1⁄2 story brick building. It has two main sections on the front and a sloped metal roof. The front door is on the left side of the west wall. It is at the top of a wooden porch. Another building is right next to the house on the north side. The south side of the house has no windows. A single sloped window is in the center of the front roof. At the back, a two-story section sticks out from the south side. Its roof slopes to the north. The house is on the western edge of a low-income housing area called The Poe Homes. This area is 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. The second floor has two bedrooms. More stairs lead to a small attic or garret. This small space might have been where Poe slept. The house still has most of its original wooden parts.
Works Written Here
It's not completely certain, but the Poe Society believes that Edgar Allan Poe wrote the following works while living in this house:
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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
- List of residences of American writers
