“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” starts the famous poem, The Raven, written by the late Edgar Allan Poe. Known for its musicality and supernatural atmosphere, the narrative poem was first published in 1845. Whether its lines still give you chills or not, you might want to discover the great poet’s work, and figure out what prompted him to write such a mysterious poem that influenced many of his successors, including the Baltimore football team name. The city features great sites that celebrate the life and work of the great story teller, so check out our top five for more. – Roxana Bardan
Westminster Hall Burying Ground & Catacombs
519 W. Fayette Street,
Baltimore, MD 21201
Beautiful and mysterious, the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground and Catacombs is located downtown Baltimore, at the intersection of Fayette and Greene Streets. The hall, also known as Edgar Allan Poe’s Gravesite, is a place full of history and legends, and is believed by many to be haunted. Poe was buried here in 1849, but it seems that he did not have the proper funeral at the time. Therefore, in 2009, 160 years after his death, Baltimore organized a proper farewell ceremony for the American poet. In addition, it seems that every year, since 1949, an individual dressed in black with a white scarf enters the graveyard at night, leaving a bottle of French cognac and three red roses on Poe’s grave. Though no one tried to identify this person or the reason of this ritual, many hide inside or near the Westminster Church to witness the quiet ceremony each year.
Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum
203 North Amity Street
Baltimore, MD 21223-2501
Located at 203 Amity St. in Baltimore, the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum is the poet’s former home. Poe is believed to have lived in the small two-story brick house in the early 1830s, together with his aunt, Maria Clemm and her family. Now open as a museum, the small unassuming structure is a typical rowhome, and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972. See website for more.
Statue of Poe by Sir Moses Ezekiel
1429 Maryland Ave.,
The great statue was the last work of American sculptor, Jacob Ezekiel, who mostly lived and worked in Rome, Italy. The statue was dedicated in Wyman Park on October 20, 1921, but under the recommendation of the E. A. Poe Society of Baltimore, was moved to the plaza of the University of Baltimore’s Law School, where it currently resides. According to the Society, “Poe’s left hand is raised as to draw attention to the fact that he was listening to ethereal music.”
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
c/o Mr. Jeffrey A. Savoye
1610 Dogwood Hill Road
Towson, MD 21286
Although Richmond, Va. is the place the great storyteller Edgar Allan Poe considered home, Baltimore is the city that perhaps defined most the beginning and end of his life and work. It is in Baltimore where Poe mostly transformed from a poet into a great writer of short stories. Therefore, the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore honors and features a great variety of informative resources on the writer’s life, death, and writing craft. Check out their website for more.
Edgar Allan Poe Collection – Enoch Pratt Free Library
Located in the Special Collections Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Edgar Allan Poe Collection opened to the public in January 1934, under the desired concept to make “the Poe Room a living memorial to the great genius who stimulated American literature.” The collection features letters, clippings, books and other memorabilia, including the well-known lock of Poe’s hair, taken from his head the day after his death in 1849. Check out their website for more.