Opened a century ago in 1922, the Edgar Allan Poe museum boasts the finest collection of Poe artifacts and memorabilia in the world.
The museum is located in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood of Richmond in a restored 18th century house with a courtyard garden, and outbuildings with many items salvaged from Poe’s original residence and office. Many museum artifacts were donated from Poe family members and relatives from around the globe.
His childhood home in Richmond, since demolished in 1927, was located at the corner of Tobacco Alley and 14th Street. He lived there from 1822 to 1825 with his foster parents John and Frances Allan. Amongst other items, a staircase was salvaged from this home and is now part of the museum.
Strolling down the sidewalk towards the museum you will see some interesting signage posted on the Old Stone House which is the oldest house still standing in Richmond and is now part of the museum but only accessible from the rear after purchasing tickets in the gift shop.
Reaching the museum entrance there is the ubiquitous mask required warning sign, then pass through the entrance to the gift shop where tickets can be purchased along with typical gift shop merchandise. I always like seeing those senior or veteran discounts at museums.
After purchasing your admission ticket, you proceed through a side door and enter the courtyard where the first visible item is the raven mural. The enclosed courtyard garden is surrounded by the outbuildings and at one end is a shrine to Poe. It is interesting to note that Poe never lived in any of the museum buildings. The courtyard can now be rented for 2, 4, or 8-hour weddings.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet and writer who is most famous for his poem “The Raven”. He was born in Boston and died under “mysterious circumstances” in Baltimore Maryland.
Poe's mother, Eliza Poe
His life was a struggle in both financial poverty and family tragedies. His father abandoned the family when Poe was just a toddler and he was then orphaned at the age of two along with his brother and sister after his mother Eliza Poe died of tuberculosis. He was then taken in by the Allan foster parents in Richmond. Poe was a talented school boy who also excelled in athletics. He was an accomplished boxer, swimmer and set his school’s record for broad jumping.
Sarah Royster, drawn by Poe at left, and a photograph from a later age
When Poe entered the University of Virginia at age 17, he became engaged to his neighbor’s daughter, Sarah Elmira Royster. However, the girl’s father thought they were too young and didn’t seem to like Poe. The engagement failed when Poe found out that she had gotten engaged to another man while he was still at the university.
Virginia Clemm Poe, Poe's cousin and wife
When Poe turned 27, he became engaged to and married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in a Richmond boarding house. Poe wrote in a letter to his aunt about his “fervent devotion to his dear little cousin.” Seems that a marriage of a 27 year old man to a 13 year old early teen would have raised some eyebrows, especially today. A very happy marriage ended when Virginia Clemm died at the age of 26 of tuberculosis. Later in life he rekindled a romantic relationship once again with Royster when he found out she was widowed. But Poe died 10 days before they were to be married.
As the top student in his Ancient and Modern Languages curriculum, Poe had to withdraw from the University of Virginia when he could not continue paying tuition because of the massive gambling debts he had racked up. So, he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army when he was 18, but lied about his age saying he was 22. After two years of success he attained the highest enlisted rank of Sergeant Major, then worked for an early discharge to enter West Point to become an officer. When West Point wasn’t working out for him, he purposely got court martialed to end his military service and begin his passion of a career in literature.
Some artifacts in the museum …..
Considered by his mother-in-law as the most accurate portrait of Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe's boyhood bed from the house at the corner of Tobacco Alley and 14th Street. One of Poe’s friends recalled Poe’s greatest fears that he would be lying in bed with someone watching him in the darkness. Later he wrote “Tell-Tale Heart” seemingly about this fear.
Mantel at his childhood Richmond home.
Piano where he and his wife and aunt played music together.
This drop-leaf table was built by enslaved people from his foster father’s Goochland County plantation; the chair is from his foster mother’s bedroom in Richmond.
Other childhood items … decanters, iron, salt shaker, and plate. Below, Virginia Clemm Poe's trinket box.
Poe’s Trunk. At the time of his death, the trunk contained all his belongings including clothing and manuscripts. It was left at the Swan Tavern in Richmond and confiscated for lack of payment. Sounds like that TV program Storage Wars. His walking stick is also in the exhibit which I’m wondering how he went to Baltimore without it. On Poe’s last night in Richmond, he left the walking stick at the doctor’s house around midnight, walked across the street to Sadler’s restaurant and the next morning caught a steamship to Baltimore and was never heard from alive again.
His white vest and white socks.
Newly engaged and ready to start his new Literary Magazine, he was to leave Richmond in 1849 for Philadelphia, but for some unknown reason took a steamship to Baltimore. In Baltimore he was found semi-conscious wearing another person’s clothing in a polling place and was taken to a hospital and died four days later without explaining his whereabouts. His Uncle Henry Herring was contacted and asked to care for him while in the Baltimore hospital but his uncle refused. Uncle Herring did host Poe’s wake and paid for his coffin. Twenty-six years later Poe’s remains were moved to a better cemetery and given a proper grave monument, but during the move, the coffin crumbled and Poe’s skeleton fell out.
Henry Herring
During his Baltimore hospital stay the attending physician asked if he had any friends that should be contacted, and Poe said during delirium that the only friend that he had would be the one that could come and shoot his brains out. Apparently during his last night he kept screaming out for a person named Reynolds, but that person was never identified. The physician said the cause of death was brain fever.
A lock of Poe’s hair is in the museum. An analysis was done on Poe’s hair and here is what they found. Arsenic was found to be 15 times the normal and two-thirds that associated with arsenic poisoning. Lead levels were 3 to 4 times normal. His level of Nickel was 10 times that of normal. Though low levels of uranium were found, his wife Virginia had very high levels which were equivalent to those of uranium miners. Mercury was also well represented in Poe’s hair. Needless to say that he was doing heavy metals before the moniker of 1970’s rock bands.
This museum is a must see for the visual history of one of America’s greatest writers and poets. I was really enthralled with his family, accomplishments, life and death tales.
The museum street address is 1914 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23223. Street parking is available nearby, but be aware of the sign restrictions where you park.
Getting there – Seven major airlines serve the Richmond International Airport (RIC), Amtrak rail uses the Main Street station, and within the city there are many buses and taxis to get to any location. Richmond is the capital of Virginia and is home to many other museums and historic sites. Richmond is approximately 130 miles from Washington DC and 350 road miles from New York City.
Places to eat near the museum. The Poe Museum provided me with a brochure of the staff’s favorite local dining establishments. I had an enjoyable lunch of pulled pork BBQ and craft beer at the Oak & Apple which was only a city block away.
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