Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site
In the sad history of Philadelphia’s low self-esteem issues, the most recent and probably least noticed installment is an uber-geekish tiff over the body of Edgar Allen Poe. That’s right, an article in the City Paper claims that Poe’s body belongs in Philadelphia, not Baltimore. Sure, this is probably a fake rivalry/PR thing. Who is this stunt supposed to work on though? OK, it worked on me. So the first thing you should know is that there’s nothing in Poe’s house itself. Yep, empty rooms. But if you’re a Poe fan, the cellar, at least, is sure to creep you out. Not a fan? Check out the reading room—period-furnished—and read some Poe before you tour. Better yet, take the guided tour—20 minutes of more stuff on 19th century Philly than you ever thought you’d want to know. As for the fake question of where Poe’s body belongs: Please, let Baltimore have this. Their Poe guy threatened to punch our Poe guy in the nose—crazy curator points to Baltimore. Plus, um, it’s where Poe died and was buried. Besides, even a fake rivalry with Baltimore is kind of embarrassing.
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