Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site to close for fire safety upgrades

Date:
July 5, 2024
Contact:Andrew McDougall, 215-435-4372

PHILADELPHIA - The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site will close to the public for much needed upgrades to its fire detection and suppression system. The fire detection system will be replaced and a new fire suppression system will be installed throughout the complex. Consisting of two adjoining townhomes on North Seventh Street in the Spring Garden neighborhood, the site is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. Construction will begin on July 8th and be completed by the fall of 2024. The site will be closed to the public for the duration of the project.

The design for this project was performed by the A/E John G. Waite Associates in 2018. The National Park Service awarded a construction contract to LMG Property Group, Inc. in December of last year. Both design and construction were funded through Repair and Rehabilitation discretionary funding for Deferred Maintenance at a total cost of $931,230.00. As a federal agency required by the National Environmental Protection Act to evaluate the impacts of its actions on the environment, the National Park Service completed this review with a finding of No Adverse Impact. Upgrading the fire safety system in the home fulfills the National Park Service mission of protecting and preserving significant historic sites for the enjoyment of future generations.

Edgar Allan Poe, along with his wife and aunt, moved to Philadelphia in 1838 looking for opportunity in the city's thriving literary scene. His time here is often viewed as his most productive, as many of his best-known Tales of Terror were published including, "The Murders in The Rue Morgue," "The Mask of the Red Death," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Black Cat." But literary success did not translate into financial success. Poe and his family lived in five different homes over the six years they were here. This home is the only one still standing. When Poe left this home in April of 1844, he left Philadelphia. Any success Poe had during his time here was overshadowed by his wife's illness. Virginia Poe suffered from tuberculosis and would pass away in New York City at the age of 24.

The work will not be hampered by the need to remove Poe related artifacts or expensive furnishings from the historic house. Since the Poe family was poor, with few possessions, and no estate inventory, the National Park Service decided to leave the home unfurnished. Today, only the empty rooms remain.

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