Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site ⓘ

Sarah Pennock sells the lot encompassing No. 530 and No. 532 to Caspar W. and Abraham W. Sharpless. Between 1836 and 1840 the lot is broken into five properties.

Caspar and Abraham Sharpless sell No. 530 and No. 532 to William Alburger for $1. Alburger pays a yearly rent to the Sharplesses of $102 for No. 530 and a yearly rent of $114 for No. 532. Alburger sells No. 532 to John Evans Jr. on the same day for the same amount. Alburger constructs a “three-story brick [house with adjacent land]” on the property of No. 530 sometime between September 1840 and October 1841.

William Alburger petitions with his neighbors for the paving of Wistar Street, therefore increasing the property value of No. 530.

A three-story brick building is constructed on the land of No. 530 sometime between September 1840 and August 1842. No, 530 is transferred from William M. Alburger to Jesse White for $1,200. White continues to pay $102 in yearly rent to Caspar and Abraham Sharpless.

Jesse White sells No. 530 to William Alburger for $1,200. $102 in yearly rent is still paid to Caspar and Abraham Sharpless.

Edgar Allan Poe moves into the three-story brick property of No. 530 with his family at some point during this time period. His landlord was likely William Alburger. At that time, the house was connected to the rear of No. 532 which was much larger than No. 530. No. 530 was described at the time as looking like “only part of a house.” No. 530 would later become a backbuilding to No. 532.

Henry Jones divides his property with James Jones and sells his half-share of No. 530 to James Jones for $2,899. The main block of the house is built sometime between January 1845 and May 1849 causing an increase in the property’s value.

Benjamin Davis sells No. 530 to James Jones for $1,400. Jones uses the property to extend his rear lot and constructs a stable on the property.

Rachel Shoemaker, Charles Shoemaker’s widow, sells No. 532 to George W. Brown for an unknown amount.

The heirs of George W. Blabon sell No. 532 to David Lampert for $3,800. *The property records for April 1, 1889 and November 10, 1904 are seemingly contradictory. The NPS is currently conducting further research into this discrepancy.

David Lampert sells No. 532 to Samuel Messinger for $800 with mortgages of $3,000 and $600.

The heirs of James Jones sell No. 530 to Marcus Hillman for $4,000. Hillman then sells the property the same day to Judas Spivack for $1.00.

Judas Spivack sells No, 530 to Ida and Morris Greenberg for $1.00 with two mortgages of $2,800 and $1,400.

Joseph Messinger, Minnie Messinger’s widower, sells No. 532 to Samuel Messinger for $1.00 with mortgages of $3,000 and $1,000.

Egan and Eva Adams sell No. 530 to George E. Stephan for $1.00. Stephan then sells No. 530 to Real Estate Land Title and Trust Company for $1.00 the same day.

Real Estate Land Title and Trust Company sells No. 530 to Building Operation Holding Company for $1.00.

Arthur Taylor sells No. 530, now known as the Poe House, to The Richard Gimbel Foundation for Literary Research.

Richard Weiglein, the sheriff, takes possession of No. 532 and sells it to Kazimirez Wielki Building and Loan Association for $50.00. Kazimirez Wielki Building and Loan Association sells No. 532 to Israel Goldberg for $2,250. Israel Goldberg sells No. 532 to Richard Gimbel Foundation for Literary Research for $1.00.

The Philadelphia City Council passes an ordinance accepting the Poe House from the Richard Gimbel Foundation, to be administered by the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The United States Department of the Interior recommends at least remedial work for the Poe House to modify the work done by John Lloyd and Associates.

The National Park Service acquires the Poe property as the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.

For Edgar Allan Poe’s bicentennial, the site opens with extensive new exhibits on the author’s life and legacy. As an alternative to restoration, pictures on large canvases that give a generalized idea of how the rooms may have appeared are placed throughout the historic structure.