The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, Baltimore

The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, is a small townhouse where Poe lived with his family for a few years in the 1830s. He met his wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm, in Baltimore during this period. He also began writing short fiction in this house.

Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum

Historic certification!

The front parlor has a lot of stuff in it--the reception desk and shop, a history of the house on a screen, some mementos, the family tree, and a list of fiction he wrote in the house.

Parlor

Family tree

A list of stories written here (at least that's what the research shows)

Upstairs a wall has many testimonials from other writers and famous figures who were influenced by Poe's work, including Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock.

Best graffiti ever?

King's appreciation

Poe had an interest in astronomy and the family owned a telescope!

Poe's peeper

They also have a portable writing desk from that time, probably the first "laptop" for composing on teh go.

He can write anywhere!

Upstairs mantel

Poe came back to Baltimore in 1849 for a few months. He died under very unusual circumstances, found drunk in a bar with someone else's clothes on. After going to the hospital, Poe died on October 7, 1849, from what might have been rabies or a brain aliment or complications from drinking. No clear evidence is available but you can read a summary here. He had two graves. When he died he was not so famous as he would become and was buried in a family plot. Decades later, his prominence led to moving his body to Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore with a large memorial.

Grave information

The top room in the house is called the "garret bedroom." Some think that he slept up here but the stairs accessing it go through the room that the women of the house would have used, so he probably did not go traipsing through their room. He most likely slept with his cousin in the back bedroom. The museum has decorated it as if it was Edgar's anyway.

Garret bedroom

More of the bedroom

"Five Poes" by Robert Sullivan

The house has an old-time map of Baltimore showing various places related to Poe, including the house, other places he stayed, and his burial site.

Poe's Baltimore (click to enlarge)

List of sites

The museum is very small and requires pre-purchased tickets. Any fan will want to check it out.