Baltimore Celebrates Poe Like No One Else
Thursday January 17, 2008 8:13 AM
Author Edgar Allen Poe, famous for his stories and poems involving death, love, hate and fear, was born on January 19th 1809. Although Philadelphia comes in a close second place, no one loves Poe more it seems than Baltimore, Maryland — even going as far as to name their NFL team "The Baltimore Ravens". Every year the city of Baltimore parties for Poe first on his birthday and then on the day of his death. Plus, they've got his body — which certainly counts for a lot.
The world-famous Edgar Allen Poe birthday celebration will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008. In charge of events is Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum. A Baltimore tradition since 1982, events will take place in Westminster Hall and will celebrate Poe's life and work as well as his person — which rests in the adjacent cemetery.
The two-day celebration will include a presentation of Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue," credited as the story that launched the detective story genre. Actors and actresses depicting Poe characters and friends of Poe will mingle with the audience. Audience members can count on meeting the Red Death, Fortunato, narrator of "The Black Cat" and Poe's former fiancé Helen Whitman. Even Poe (David Keltz) will appear from time to time to read passages from his work and make observations. At the conclusion of events, Jerome will lead an apple cider Toast to Poe.
While advance tickets are sold out for the events, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door on a first come, first serve basis. Westminster Hall sits at 519 W. Fayette St. Doors open at 6 p.m. on Saturday and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Events are not suitable for children.
Now the Poe House and Museum, Poe's house can be found at 203 N. Amity St. You can also visit Church Home and Hospital at 100 Broadway. A bronze plaque marks the location of the room where the Poe died on October 7, 1849. Sign up in March for a ghost tour by Baltimore Ghost Tours in Fells Point, which ends with a visit to the Admiral Fell Inn at harbor's edge where Poe was last seen alive.
A vigil for the Poe Toaster was enacted by Jerome to look out for the mysterious figure dressed in black who has visited Poe's grave early on the morning of January 19th every year since 1949. Jerome and a small group of devoted Poe fans wait by the cemetery to watch the Toaster climb the cemetery wall, leave three roses and a bottle of cognac on the tombstone of their beloved writer.
In other Baltimore Poe events, a reenactment of Poe's funeral [PDF] is scheduled for October of 2009.
