Edgar Allan Poe house closing for repairs

The Edgar Allan Poe house in North Philadelphia will be closed for repairs for the remainder of the summer, according to the National Park Service, which operates the property.

Beginning Monday, the national historic site will be shuttered to allow crews to replace the fire detection and suppression systems. NPS officials said the house is expected to reopen when the work concludes in the fall.

Poe, a celebrated American poet and author who died in 1849, spent six years in Philadelphia and lived in five different houses. The historic site – composed of adjoining rowhomes on 7th Street just north of Spring Garden – is the only surviving property. He lived there with Virginia, his wife and cousin, and his aunt/mother-in-law Maria.

During Poe’s time in the city, several of his most well-known works, including “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Murders in The Rue Morgue” and “The Black Cat,” were published.

No artifacts need to be removed for the project, and the home is unfurnished, park service officials said. About $930,000 has been set aside for design and construction, according to the NPS.