Imagining Poe - Symposium on resource management and interpretation - Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site - June 16, 2004
National Park Service. 2005. Imagining Poe - Symposium on resource management and interpretation - Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site - June 16, 2004. Harper's Ferry Center
This report contains information and themes from the symposium Imagining Poe that was organized by the National Park Service to generate creative ideas for interpreting Edgar Allan Poe and the interior rooms of the Poe House. The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was established in 1978 to commemorate the life and work of the writer, editor, and critic. Edgar Allan Poe lived in Philadelphia for sex years from 1838 to 1844. For part of that time Poe, his wife Virginia and her mother Maria Clemm occupied this house on North Seventh Street. While the house is original it has not been restored to its 1840’s appearance. Numerous modifications to the interior and exterior of the structure have occurred over the years. The interior spaces have been modified and another building has been attached to the Poe House and obliterated features on the east side of the house. Today the interior is simply a shell, with interior surfaces stripped to reveal historic wall finishes, trims, and fixtures. The symposium Imagining Poe was organized by the National Park Service to generate creative ideas for interpreting Edgar Allan Poe and the interior rooms of the original Poe House. A second objective was to develop innovative approaches for preserving and restoring these rooms.