Tour Of Edgar Allan Poe’s Philadelphia Home

By RodneyHatfieldJr for Into The Mind

With having to stay home and not leaving except for essentials because of Covid. I have watched so many movies and shows, it now feels boring to even try to find something to watch. Even reading has beginning to lose that fuzzy feeling. 3/4 of my family have blocked me on Facebook for trolling them. I think it is what they call cabin fever. Where doing the same thing every day becomes tedious, even if it is things we love. With that said, I am looking forward to going back to the theater. That is magical. So lately I have been looking for different experiences of outside life. And I have found Virtual Tours. The concept is going on tours of famous and historical sites from the comfort of the living room. And I found a great one. So strap on your VR helmet and lets go visit a Master of Horror.


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When it comes to the gothic, it doesn’t get much more original than Edgar Allan Poe. Now fans of the author and the genre as a whole can take a tour from one of the Gothic Masters few remaining houses in which he resided during his lifetime. So sit back, relax and learn about the history of this genre-defining creator.

Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the building has been declared a natural historic site for some time and plays host to thousands of visitors a year. It is said that in the six years that Poe spent in Philadelphia he was certainly his most productive, and perhaps his most happy. Whilst in the city he produced works including the world-famous Tell-Tale Heart, The Murders In The Rue Morgue and The Gold-Bug. But that’s not all, according to sources, Poe published as many as 31 stories during his time in Philly as well as a few literary criticisms.


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Poe rented the property where the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site now stands in 1843, and lived alongside his wife Virginia and his Mother-in-law Maria Clemm. His time at the site is documented in a letter that Poe sent to fellow writer James Russell Lowell confirming his address for any correspondence. It was in this house where his February 1841 review of Charles Dickens Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty. In reviewing the novel, which later inspired Poe's poem The Raven, he correctly predicted the novel's resolution before its final serialized installment was published. Dickens is said to have remarked, “The Man is the devil.” I still don’t know if that was praise or scorn.

The home played host to Poe and his family before they moved to New York, and after Poe departed the house was used by several families before being purchased by Richard Gimbel whose father was the founder of Gimbels department store in 1933. Gimbel was a great fan of Poe’s works and after he refurbished the building he dedicated it as a museum to the man. After his death, Gimbel left the property to the state of Philadelphia in the hopes that it would become a national historic site.

>>Check out the walkthrough video<<

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