Poe spent six years in Philadelphia as a magazine editor, publishing some of his own works and selling others to competitors.
Some would tell you his best-known works were written here. Poe never earned enough to own a home but he rented one at 532 N. 7th street, just above Spring Garden...then a suburban neighborhood.
The house, actually part of a twin, is maintained by the National Park Service as the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.
Preservationists have done their best to maintain the part Poe actually lived in as a house. What's called "the neighbor's house" is used for public areas...a reception area with a timeline of Poe's life, a small theater, even a souvenir shop.
You probably recall Poe for his macabre poems and stories, but he write widely. He once published an essay on how to furnish a room, and the reading room at the site follows his dictates, right down to the rose-tinted windows he recommended.
The otherwise-unadorned basement has an eerie silhouette of a black cat, in tribute to one of his stories. And there's a statue of a raven in the side yard facing Spring Garden Street.
The Poe House is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, admission free. School groups...the most popular form of visitation...need reservations.
Individuals and families may visit any time the doors are open, and are welcome to tag along should a school tour be present.
On Poe's birthday and again the following weekend, regular events will be supplemented by the showing of Hollywood films inspired by Poe. Show times are 11:00am, 1:00 and 3:00pm. For more information, you may phone the Poe Historic Site at 215-597-8780, or visit their website, Edgar Allan Poe .
