Edgar Allan Poe was a great, albeit troubled, American poet, author, literary critic and editor, notorious for his tales of mystery and macabre, considered part of the American Romantic Movement, inventor of the detective mystery genre and one of the first practitioners of the popular short story; he was also the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career. The legendary wordsmith spent the final years of his life, from 1846 to 1849, at Poe Cottage, a tidy wooden farmhouse built around 1812 that once commanded unobstructed vistas over the rolling Bronx hills all the way to the shores of Long Island; rent was 100 dollars per year. This humble-yet-refined, simply furnished little cottage also sheltered his beloved – and gravely ill – wife Virginia Clem and her mother, Maria, and was originally situated on two acres of land on Kingsbridge Road. In this pastoral setting, seated in his tiny, unheated 2nd story study, the family cat perched on his shoulder and caged songbirds twisting away on the front porch, Poe penned many of his most enduring poetic works, including “Annabel Lee,” “The Bells” and “Ulalume;” he also published a controversial series on “The Literati of New York” while there. Ultimately, the question of the cottage’s future was tabled, and it was purchased at auction by a man who would later become Poe’s first American biographer. The home was eventually moved to Poe Park, and was dedicated a Bronx landmark in 1962. It was carefully restored to its original appearance, with authentic period furnishings supplementing original pieces that remained after the author’s death; a fascinating film presentation in concert with a wonderful guided tour assist in bringing Poe Cottage to life.