5. Poe Cottage

Poe Cottage, which is currently located in Poe Park

In May 1847, Edgar Allan Poe leased a small cottage in the Fordham section of the Bronx (at the time it was Fordham Village in Westchester County) for $100 a year. While living in the Bronx, Poe published “The Cask of Amontillado” and wrote some of his most well known poems including “The Bells,” “Annabel Lee,” and “Eureka.” One of the reasons Poe moved out to the Bronx was for the sake of his wife, Virginia, who had contracted tuberculosis. Sadly, the Bronx did not provide the miracle that Poe was looking for and in 1847, Virginia died in the cottage.

   The original bed in which Virginia Poe died

After Poe died, Maria Clemm, Poe’s mother-in-law was left in the house by herself. Unable to afford the rent she sold or gave away many of Poe’s possessions and the furnishings of the house. Between Poe’s death and 1910, the cottage went through a number of different owners, some of whom hoped to save it from destruction. This protection was achieved when the decision was made to move the cottage to a newly created park. The park, named in honor of Poe, was dedicated in November 1913. The cottage suffered much vandalism over the years but its designation as a New York City Landmark in 1966 ensured that it was to remain for future generations. Today, it is one of a number of House Museums located in the Bronx, at 2640 Grand Concourse.