5. “The Raven” Plaque

The Poe House’s claim that Edgar Allan Poe wrote “The Raven” in his Philadelphia home is unsubstantiated but plausible, as Poe first attempted to publish an early draft in Graham’s Magazine before he left Philadelphia. The declaration can be boiled down to drumming up business and enthusiasm for the museum when it first opened. It’s not uncommon for historical sites to brag about everything they possibly can and with a subject like where Poe wrote his most well-known poem, the muddied details about how long it took to write and where he wrote it lends itself perfectly to repeated claims.

Untapped Cities covered a story about the other two conflicting plaques in New York City that also claim to have housed Poe while he wrote “The Raven.” While the location or locations where Poe wrote “The Raven” are hotly contested, the previously missing Raven Mantle was located by Untapped Cities and can be found at Columbia University.