Poe Park

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History

This one-and-a-half story, three room farmhouse with attic, porch, and basement was built by John Wheeler around 1812. The wood frame dwelling has two fireplaces, each with its own chimney, in the kitchen and parlor room. The hand-hewn roof beams and broad floor planks are original to the construction of the home.

In 1846, the home was owned by John Valentine who then rented it to Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), the esteemed poet and creator of the American Gothic tale and the detective story, for $100 a year (equivalent to about $4,000 in 2024). His young wife Virginia (1822-1847), whom he married in 1836, was suffering from tuberculosis. Poe hoped that the Bronx country air might cure her. In addition to writing “The Bells,” “Eureka,” and “Annabel Lee,” Poe spent his time here gardening and discussing scholarly matters with the Jesuits at nearby St. John's College (now Fordham University). Virginia died in 1847, and Poe resided in the cottage until his own death in Baltimore in 1849.

Years after Poe’s death, the cottage, which originally stood on the east side of Kingsbridge Road near Valentine Avenue, was threatened with destruction. The New York Shakespeare Society lobbied the New York State Legislature to acquire what was then an apple orchard, 450 feet to the north, as a permanent site for the house. Poe Park opened in 1902 and featured curving paths, lawn areas, trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds. In 1909 the Bronx Society of Arts and Sciences presented a bronze bust of Poe by sculptor Edmond T. Quinn to the City to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the poet’s birth. The house was not moved to its present site until 1913.

In 1921, the cottage was renovated to represent the mid-nineteenth century under the guidance of John Harden who also worked on the Dyckman Farmhouse in upper Manhattan. The original paint was uncovered under multiple layers and materials from a nearby house that was built in the same time period were used to repair the windows, chimneys, and mantlepieces. Steam heat and electricity were also added to the cottage at this time.

The cottage fell into disrepair in the early 1970s, and in 1975 the Bronx County Historical Society began its management of the house. In 1980 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, the house is owned by NYC Parks and is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City. The cottage's rooms have been restored with furnishings appropriate to Poe’s residency in the 1840s, including a desk, rope bed, and wicker rocking chair thought to have belonged to the family.

Edgar Allan Poe Details

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For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163

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More About Poe Park

Zip Code:10458
Community Board: 07
Council Member: Oswald Feliz
Park ID: X040
Acreage: 2.33
Property Type: Playground

Lost and Found Information

Other Parks Nearby

• St. James Park (0.17 miles)
• Webster Playground (0.37 miles)
• Aqueduct Walk (0.45 miles)
• Washington's Walk (0.50 miles)
• Devoe Park (0.52 miles)