 | Fans of literature, mystery and the macabre are drawn to the Philadelphia house of Edgar Allan Poe. Managed by the National Park Service, the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site celebrates Poe’s amazing literary accomplishments. Edgar Allan Poe thrived and achieved his greatest sustained success while living in Philadelphia: here Poe invented the detective story, served as America’s premier though sometimes brutal literary critic, edited the country’s most successful magazine, and wrote enduring, haunting and disturbing stories and poems. |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Edgar Allan Poe ~ The Master of the Macabre
Poe’s legacy is of national, even international, significance, which is why the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site was created by the U.S. Congress in 1978. The site is run by the management and staff of Independence National Historical Park and supported by the Friends of Independence.
In recognition of the 200th anniversary of Poe’s death in 2009, new exhibits were created for the house, which now welcomes approximately 15,000 visitors annually. The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site explores themes drawn from Poe’s accomplishments. Visitors are shown that Poe’s life is a case study in the expression of, and society’s reaction to, creative genius. Poe demonstrated the breadth of his creative genius by mastering and even pioneering a variety of literary forms. Poe’s influence on literary expression as well as popular culture began during his lifetime and continues today. Through the exhibits, visitors learn that Poe’s personal life as well as the literary world in which he made his living had an impact on his creative expression.
The Poe House was built between 1840-42 by William M. Alburger, a plumber and real estate investor. Edgar Allan Poe lived in the house with his family as renters sometime between September 1842 and June 1843, until April 1844, when they left for New York. The house itself, following Poe’s departure to New York, continued as rental property until 1933 when Richard Gimbel, a Poe scholar and collector and heir to Philadelphia’s Gimbels Department Store fortune, acquired the property and opened it up as a museum, showing many of his own collections. The house was maintained as a museum by the Gimbel Foundation until Gimbel’s death in 1971, at which point it was donated to the City of Philadelphia. The National Park Service assumed ownership in 1978 and created the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.
This October, come visit the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site and experience Poe’s macabre genius for yourself! The park has a number of programs coming up that are perfect for both new and repeat visitors.
On Saturday, October 15, at 2 p.m., participate in “Poe’s Legacy: A Discussion.” Featuring three Poe scholars, Daniel Hoffman, Robert Regan, and Alvin Holm, this free event promises a lively discussion about Poe and his literary legacy.
Later in the month, just in time for those looking for a fun and educational Halloween outing, join us for an illustrated program on the Halloween themes in Poe’s literature. This free program will be offered on Friday, October 28, at 2 p.m., in the Second Bank of the United States and on Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, at 2 p.m. at the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.
Entrance to the site is always free. It is open for visitors Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/edal.
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, 532 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123.
~ Jane Cowley, Public Affairs Officer for INHP
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