Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site

There are many places to visit in Philadelphia, but one stop that I wanted to include was the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Unlike the grand homes of some famous Americans, Poe’s Philadelphia residence is modest. Yeast within these humble walls, Edgar Allan Poe produced some of the most important and enduring works of American literature.

Poe lived in Philadelphia from 1838 to 1844, a period often regarded as the most productive years of his career. During his time in the city, he wrote and published many of the stories and poems that established his reputation. He also worked as an editor and literary critic, helping to shape the emerging world of American literature.

Historians are not certain in which house each of his works was written, but the National Park preserves this residence to represent the type of home the Poe family occupied during their years in Philadelphia. The house is largely unfinished and the rooms are narrow. From this humble setting emerged stories filled with mystery and suspense. The tales that originated in these modest rooms helped create the modern detective story and established Poe as one of America’s greatest literary figures.

Recognizing the importance of Poe’s Philadelphia years, Congress established the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site in 1978. This site was the 335th unit of the National Park System.