New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-31
P0ES F0RDHAM COTTAGE.
wHERE THE POET LIVED AND WROTE.


THE PARK BOARD THINK IT TOO COSTLY TO BE
REMovED-THE BUILDING MAI BE
DESTROYED THIS SPRING.
The Fordham home OF Edgar Allan Poe, where he
passed the last year Of his feyesh life, = ikey 10 30
DESTROYED IN q few months. The cottage has been
offered to the city the Park Department cares to
remove g. The Park Board directed an inquiry 70
be made into the cost of removal and It Is now
hesItating whether # 60 30 expense for what
Il regards q matter largely Of sentiment
Tho report said that the moving OF the cottage
70 the nearest suitable place In tho now parks Of the
annexed dstriet would cost o. 800 while the founda-
ton which would be required for the building on tho
nav site would cost 81 900 more. This estimate b
regarded a. excessive, and one Of the neghbos IN
Fordham said that the entire change ought to DO
made at q cost not 10 exceed 1900. To maintain
tho building IN repair IN the nov site would 90
small expense Is it might afford homo 70 one Of The
park.kccpers Il would serve also As tho parks
developed a. ono OF the cottages which required
and as q relic Of historic interest woGh DO Of moro
attraction than many Of the monuments which are
scattered so reoklessly through tho parks.
The Foe cottage where it now stands occupies
little plateau on the bluff few minutes walk above
the Pordham station Of the Harlem Railroad. me
ruad winds up thes nth from ahe railway over -
natural pavement OF the hard gray gneiSs. In the
there was one here ono end Of Il Il close upon the
road, but the sides and roof are so covered with
yines and shaded with trees that the foliage hides
the structure in q rustic Arbor The cottage itsei
Is . simple and primitive affair thai was built more
than seventy years ago It is long, low ana Do1-
shApcd the sides as wel the roof being shingieo'
broad porch runs along the south slds facing the
lawn and IN front Of this grows . vigorous cherry
toe which was planted By Poe in 1s47 and which has
rarely failed during recent years 10 bring out fan
erup OF fruit On the lower door there are two
large square rooms and kitchen. Tho middle room
was used By Poe as 3 dining and sitingroom, ana
his vIsitors wero also received here after his wis
became III. ale then occupied the front room g
bedroom and It was there she died.
The second floor has three rooms with low ceilnsS'
but they arc neatly plastered airy and comfortable
Ono of these over tho front room Is Of the same size
and Is said 10 have been Poe's fayo1te room. Inc
old-fashIoned brick chimney runs UP through INC
roof and has an open fireplace where cneertnI
wood fro can blaze and craeke IN winter. IL Is SAID
that Poe wrote two Of ais latest poems, "Uiaume.
and Eureka in this room. The quletest days Oh
his life were spent In his home In Fordham "non
he became famous from Tho Raven and some OF
his stories Poo was living In the city in humble
| quarters near Washington Square. This was then
tho fashionable neiEhborhoOd of EowYork, and Drown
stone dwellings had only just begun to start up along
tho lower cud Of Ffh.Ave Tho reputation "hlcn
no obtained from his literary work did not ma'ershy
increase his means. lie had for several years boon
I doing editorial work The Evening Mirror at a
salary OF $40 week. He subsequently, went cut
10 live In house along the Boulevard In the neigh.
borhood OF EghtIeth.st which was then wen out OF
| town The decision In libel suit In his favor gave
| him few hundred dollars In ready money, ana IN
ths spring Of 1e48 he rented the Fordham house. and
| went With his wife and her mother, MIS- GLENN, 10
live there. His wife, Virginia, then suffering
from consumption She rallied for little, but soon
again began 70 fail and diod Ia tho following year.
Tho grounds around the cottage eompfiss about
| two acres. They slope away into shady. grassy
hollow. A bare Ledge Of rocks overiooks the ciif
and the valley nearly ono hundred feet below. To
the east the view stretches into Connecticut and over
the Sound TO the blue and distant hills OF Long Island
| There Is tradition that British battery occupied
| this slte for some time during tho Revolution Poe
was visited frequently here BY those VINO Knew nm
and lis duties only such IS he cared g assume II;
took long walks often going TO the CITY on .o9. aae
NJ s5 A Sss s0ut One S's Of lis MIRA
| Cromwell, who lived for many years lew nundred
picking tuLt she thought him ncslSsS , snS
out there to got good air and 70 dlg q TIC dirt.
| hut Mrs Cromwell observed she was too weak and
s to Ss %A sSG sSS 0s So
furnished and they seemed to So very gosr st they
| were eontented. ahS. Clsmin was called sMiddes
/ OF poe's death In baltimore, Mrs. Cromwell went 0ve
10 the house and found Mrs. GLENN packing up. Sh'
about TO be married again 70 Baltimore woman and
| re would como for her. She was overcome AZ thu
| been there to nurse him through hls dad spos h
| would have recovered. The neighhogs rssed money
hind In hs rent for several months, and Mrs. Cemu
afterward returned TO sell of their lttls household
| rockinRchAlr and tho cd family Bible.
| The cottage which Poe obtained for 300 year hs
the house ard land were sold NJ public auction 10
$500 For number OF years II has been oooupie,
by MIRA f. D. pechert, the widow Of an engineer WI,
assisted In making the pans Of Central Park, aHs
subsequently, laid out tho avenues and drives Of Ford
ham. with tho growth OF the city, land hm gfeat
Increased IN value within few years IN this neigh
borh0od ard tho site Is OF the best IN thai potio
oi Fordham, The owner now intends 20 tear down Ia
house az ,assn 'nS roresy m bnlldnr IT., W.