Edgar Allan Poe, the pioneer of the mystery genre; the world’s most beloved poet and author of horror and Gothic tales; a genius in the literary world; and a legend within human history. Poe broke the barriers of murder stories at the time. To this day his poems and short fictions are exceedingly prosperous.
I got the chance to take a tour of the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site at Seventh and Spring Garden Streets in Philadelphia. This was only one of many homes to Poe. He lived in Philadelphia from 1838 to 1844, and this was only one of the multiple houses he had in this city (this is the last one still standing today). However, he also lived in Boston, Baltimore, Richmond, Va. and New York at different points in his life.
You may notice that there is no furniture at this particular house that he rented in Philadelphia. There was nothing in the building when the country turned it into a national historic site. It is believed that Poe decided to sell all of it when he was struggling financially. Nobody really knows what happened to the furniture, but it remains empty to this day.
Poe lived a most certainly damaged life. He lost many family members and loved ones from tuberculosis. Not only was Poe’s life a mystery, but his cause of death is still unknown. This leaves no surprise as to why this house might be haunted. Ghost tours in the city claim that his spirit still lingers here.
Short stories Poe wrote while living in the house on Seventh Street:
- 1838-“Ligeia”
- 1843-“The Tell-Tale Heart”
- 1843-“The Black Cat”
Other stories he wrote in Philadelphia:
- 1839-“The Fall of the House of Usher”
- 1841-“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”
- 1842-“The Masque of the Red Death”
- 1842-“The Pit and the Pendulum”
- 1843-“The Gold Bug”
Philadelphia had a huge literary scene, so it’s no wonder why Poe had great accomplishments in developing and writing his stories. The next time you’re in Philadelphia, I urge you to check out the Edgar Allan Poe Historic Site!
Requiem: A Hymn for the Dead 