Simply said: Poe was born in Boston, but his house is gone.

The city demolished the whole block where his house once stood. Nice way to remember a legend.

Before I paint the picture of Poe in Boston I must give credit where credit is due. I did not go to Boston expecting to see his house. I knew this from a book I have been reading titled Poe Land :The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allen Poe by J.W Ocker.

Ocker took a much more detailed jaunt around the U.S. (and Europe) looking for Poe, so his knowledge has been invaluable to me. He has helped fill in gaps when I needed them, telling me things a tour guide or exhibit missed.

Poe's parents, Elizabeth and David, were both actors, she from England and he from Baltimore. They were traveling actors, and spent much time moving up and down the East Coast to perform in various plays. They had been living in Boston for three years when Edgar was born January 19, 1809; his older brother Henry was born there in 1807. His sister Rosalie was born in Virginia in 1810.

Before Edgar was even one, his father left the family for reasons unknown. Sadly, his mother died in 1811 in Richmond, when he was two. The children were spilt up; Edgar was placed in a foster care family with Frances and John Allan. (Now we understand Edgar ALLAN Poe.)

Poe did come back to Boston in his lifetime, but it was never for long. According to Ocker, he traveled to the city as late as a year before his death. By this time, he was giving lectures presenting his work, but he was also in love with a woman who lived in Boston named Annie Richmond. (This was after the death of his wife Virginia.)

So.....Boston was a sad place for Poe, but considering the fact that I have visited his houses in New York and Philadelphia, I wanted more to commemorate his entrance into the world.

And so did other Bostonians.

Ocker identified a plaque on a wall at the intersection of Boylston and Charles Streets. If I had not been looking for it I would have walked right by. 

It states Poe's birth Street (Carver), his parents' names, professions, the book he published in Boston (Tamerlane and Other Poems) and adds that he lectured in Boston in on October 16, 1845

And just like Ocker disclosed, it's on an exterior wall of a burrito restaurant, Boloco.

Oker  amusedly remarked that Boston could have made up for "snubbing" Poe by having Boloco name a a burrito after him--something like "Crazy Poe."


My sleuthing to find yet another plaque tribute (I guess Poe would have liked this, now that I think about it...) brought me to Fayette Street, a residential area that reminded me of the small quaint streets in Philadelphia and Baltimore with the shuttered red-brick row homes. 

Near the iron scroll work is this small, round, worn medallion-like plaque:

Ocker did some sleuthing himself and he discovered that the building's landlord at the time was a Poe fan, and he had the medallion placed there, knowing that Poe had been born nearby. That's the very short story; read Ocker's book for the great details.


BUT NOW... finally the main attraction--and this was better than I expected.

Right on Boston Common Poe has finally been given the recognition he deserves in the form of a very unusual statue--fitting, of course. And I "dedicate" this portion of my blog to Mr. Ocker, who was not able to include a picture of the statue because his book was finished before the state was placed. On page 343 in the epilogue he states, "You're going to have to finish this book for me."

My pleasure!
It's named "Poe Returning to Boston." The sculptor, Stefanie Rocknak, depicts a Poe consumed in thought and importance (take that, Boston) as he rushes away from the Frog Pond (a popular spot for Bostonians) towards his home on Calvert Street. 

Spilling from his carrying case are papers, letters, books, poems...and a (tell-tale) heart!

...of course, accompanied by a raven.

Before leaving the city, we made sure to pass the Boston Public Library. I knew to peruse the outside details of the facade (vocab word) to find Poe's name among the literary famous.

You can see his name between Hawthorne and Thoreau, all three Massachusetts- born literary masterminds.

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When I reflect on Poe and the unfortunate circumstance of his early years , I am saddened, especially knowing of the odd twists and turns his life would bring. But then, why be sad for someone who people now adore?

“An Oak tree is a daily reminder that great things often have small beginnings.” 

― Matshona Dhliwayo

The information I have presented in previous blogs about Poe have revealed sadnesses but also his triumphs. After I visit the Poe House in Baltimore, we'll see how his life came full circle.

Maybe this fall I'll pay more attention when the Patriots play the Ravens.