Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-21
Assertion That the Poet Was
Born in Norfolk.
HIS PARENTS STRANDED HERE
Theatrical Company in Which They Played
Wont to Pieces. aud During Their En-
forced Residence in This City Child
Was Born to Them Went to I:oston.
and, to Cover Up Their Detention in
Norfolk, Announced Birth as in Boston.

Yesterdays Washington Post says:
1T is gratifying to know that
through the persistent efforts of ad-
mirers of Edgar Allen Poe. the cot
taSe at Fordham which he occupied
uurlnS the time OF his literary en-
SaSementS in New York city has been
preserved Fordham, now Il suburb
OIL New York, has come within the
scope of municipal government. and
the cottage stood directly in the pro-
posed direction of an avenue, but
other plans were adopted in order to
avoid its removal.
Il recently visited Fordham, where
the quaint old cottage stands with it's
gable end to the street. and on which
i mas peen placed an ornamental metal
lie plate bearing the inscription, Poe
Cottage and the figure of raven.
beneath which are 1S44-'49, the term of
Poes residence i'll New York and occu-
patton OF the cottage. Handsome
dwellings, have been erected in the To-
cality, which are known as Poe Villas.
ana are owned ana rented by people
OF wealth and culture. The scheme of
preserving the cottage. Identifying it's
surroundings and attaching Poe's
name TO the charming area is indeed
touching memorial to the poet.
STORY OF AN UNPUBLISHED
POEM.
1T may not be generally known
that Poe wrote n poem OF kecnest sa-
tire, the publication of which. for
some reason now unknown. he sup
pressed. TO substantiate this asser-
ton L will state the following facts:
IN the carly sixties L formed the ac-
quaintance of gentleman whose
mother adopted Poe'S sister at the
time that Mr.. Allan, os Richmond.
adopted Edgar. The former gentle
man and Poe were intimately asso-
ciated from childhood up to the time
OF the poets death. On n certain oc-
caSion he remarked to me that the
best poem Poe ever wrote had never
been published and recited 1t to me
then, and several times afterward. 1t
was q mercileSS satire, of perhaps
of twelve or fourteen stanzas, con-
corning II rival in love affair who
was dry goods clerk in Richmond.
l am strongly of the opinion that my
friend told me that the original manu-
script OF the poem had been preserved
by his family. 1t might by proper eff
fort. be secured and given to the
world.
There is another matter which sug-
Gests itself in connection With the poet.
n matter which 1 do not refer to eX-
cept after long consideration, and one
which has received the attention and
careful investigation of certain men
prominent in the literary world This
is concerning the birthplace of the
poet.
BIRTHPLACE or POE.
OF course it has ever been recognized
as n fact beyond question that Poo was
born in Boston. But there are men of
conservative judgment, widely known
by reason of their high rank in ltera-
ture. who, after having made eXhaus-
tive investigation claim that the poet
was born in Norfolk, Va. The follow
ing facts have led to this conclusion.
Poe's parents were members of the
theatrical profession. and a short while
before the date of the poets birth n
company by which the father was en-
gagged became stranded in the above
city. The Poes remained in Norfolk for
several weeks after the company dis
banded. and during this period n child
was born to them in the old homestead
of my family, where they had been in
vited to reside during their stay in Nor
folk. 1t is claimed that the child was
the first OF the two children born to
the parents: that Edgar was older than
his sister. and. therefore. that il was
he who was born at the above place
and time.
The little family went on to Boston
shortly afterward. and it is plausibly
stated that it might have been with n
a.t II
their straitened pecuniary condition at
the time with the event of the birth of
their child that Boston, where they
were soon happily situated. was
claimed by the parents to be the birth
place of the infant.
The above theory has been maintain
cd for many years by men whose judg-
ment cannot be lightly regarded, but
this is. perhaps, the first time that II
has been presented for public consid-
Grafton. CHARLES T.. FORREST.