Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site

National Historic Site of the United States

The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site is a preserved home once rented by American author Edgar Allan Poe, located at 532 N. 7th Street, in the Spring Garden neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though Poe lived in many houses over several years in Philadelphia (1838 to 1844), it is the only one which still survives. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

Poe lived in at least three different locations in Philadelphia, including homes on Arch Street, on 16th and Locust Streets, and on Coates Street near 25th Street. While living in Philadelphia, Poe published some of his most well known works, including "The Tell Tale Heart," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "The Gold Bug". It has been called his most prolific period. Poe published 31 stories during his time in Philadelphia as well as several literary criticism pieces, including his February 1841 review of Charles Dickens's novel Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty. In reviewing the novel, which inspired Poe's 1845 poem "The Raven", he correctly predicted the novel's resolution before its final serialized installment was published. Dickens is said to have remarked, "The man must be the devil".

The Historic Site is the only one of Poe's Philadelphia homes still standing and is located in the historical Spring Garden district on the northern edge of Philadelphia. Poe rented the house early in 1843 and is believed to have lived there for about a year or less along with his wife Virginia and his aunt/mother in law Maria Clemm. It is uncertain when the family moved into the home, which was then at the corner of Seventh Street and Brandywine Alley 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." Speculation as to which stories and poems were written in this home are unprovable, but suggestions include "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains", "The Balloon Hoax", and "Eulalie". 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.

The site combines both Poe's former residence and two adjoining houses which were not built until after Poe left Philadelphia. The room includes a complete collection of Poe's works, including criticism, 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" (1845). The cellar in the house resembles one described in "The Black Cat" (1843), also written while Poe lived in Philadelphia. Though the house does not include any items originally owned by the Poe family, many items are collected nearby at the Free Library of Philadelphia. The site is affiliated with the Independence National Historical Park. The site is open Friday Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM (closed from Noon to 1 PM) with guided tours (call for information on times) or self guided tours at any time. Admission is free. Paid membership in the Friends of Poe Society, which also sponsors events throughout the year, aids in the upkeep of the home.