The Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe
On October 7, 1849, renowned author Edgar Allan Poe died at Washington Medical College. Two days earlier, a man had encountered Poe “in great distress and in need of immediate assistance” on a street in Baltimore, MD.
Poe, who wasn’t wearing his own clothes at the time of his discovery, repeatedly called out the name Reynolds, but died before he could explain who he was talking about or what had made him so ill. Newspapers at the time claimed Poe died of “congestion of the brain” or “cerebral inflammation,” common euphemisms for alcoholism, but it’s uncertain how the author truly died as his medical records are long lost.
Though Poe’s records might be gone, some people believe the author still lurks around his former home at 203 North Amity Street in Baltimore. According to the Baltimore Post-Examiner, several people in the 1970s felt taps on the shoulder but turned around to see no one behind them. One actor was spooked when a window sash appeared to fly across the room and land at his feet. Reports of “creepy feelings” and “an eerie presence” are not uncommon.
When haunting at home gets too boring, Poe floats on over to the Horse You Rode in On pub, also in Baltimore. According to BaltimoreStories.com, bartenders attribute swinging chandeliers to the author and believe he’s behind a cash register that repeatedly pops open.
Do you believe Edgar Allan Poe haunts his former home and pub forevermore?
On January 19th, Poe’s birthday, we used to wait at his grave for the Poe Toaster. The Toaster’s last visit was in 2009. We continued waiting until 2012 when the curator of the Poe House and Museum declared the tradition over, and the Poe Toaster is nevermore
Oh yeah! I forgot about the Poe Toaster. Too bad the tradition is over.