Edgar Allan Poe

Though Poe was born in Boston and died in Baltimore, he considered his happiest and most productive period to be the six years he spent in Philadelphia. He lived in several homes during that time; this apartment, which Poe shared with his wife and mother-in-law from roughly 1843 to 1844, is the only one that survives. Unlike other historic homes, Poe’s former residence is kept unfurnished, aside from one room where visitors can read and hear recordings of his work. Interpretive rangers bring the empty space to life with insights into the author’s macabre imagination and tragic life story.