Built in 1812, this cottage was typical of the working-class houses that filled the old village of Fordham. It has only five rooms: a kitchen, parlor, and bedchamber on the main floor, and two small rooms in the attic. In 1844, Poe moved in with his wife, Virginia, accompanied by Virginia’s mother, Maria Clemm. Poe wrote some of his most famous works in the cottage, including “Annabel Lee,” “Eureka,” and “The Bells.” 

After Poe’s death in 1849 the cottage, as his last home, became something of a literary landmark. In 1913, the house was saved from demolition by the New York Shakespeare Society, which raised funds to move it across the street to a public park so that it could be preserved in perpetuity. Today, 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.

On view is the special exhibition “The Death of Virginia Poe,” on loan from Poe Baltimore.

Restrooms are available at the Poe Park Visitors Center.