BALTIMORE — The historic Edgar Allan Poe Museum is launching an emergency fundraising campaign to cover tens of thousands of dollars in preservation-related costs as surrounding buildings prepare to be demolished.
According to Enrica Jang, executive director of Poe Baltimore/The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City reported on Aug. 28 that the buildings surrounding the museum are next in the demolition sequence.
The work is expected to take place across the street from Poe House, an 1830s half-rowhouse surrounded on three sides by the redevelopment site.
Conditions at the site have deteriorated, according to Jang, and Poe Baltimore has already paid for additional security, professional oversight, cleanup and maintenance following incidents of trespassing, vandalism, debris accumulation and renewed water intrusion.
“Poe House has survived nearly two centuries. It survived demolition in 1940. Eighty-six years later, it needs more help,” Jang said. “We have reached the point where protecting it is consuming resources meant to operate and preserve the museum.”
Jang added that Poe Baltimore has supported the redevelopment of Poe Homes and has worked toward expanding the museum as part of the transformed site.
Progress at the site includes boarding up retained buildings and clearing debris around Poe House.
Jang said the museum will remain open as the "Protect Poe House During Demolition" campaign seeks to raise $50,000 for unexpected costs associated with safeguarding the historic property throughout the demolition process.
The 9th Annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival is scheduled to run from Oct. 2 through Oct. 4 and will also help raise funds for the Poe House's future.
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