Fordham Manor 351 



Scattered through the manor are several public parks, St. 

 James, Washington Bridge, Fordham, University, Poe, Echo, 

 and the larger part of Bronx Park, including the Zoological 

 and the Botanical gardens. The new Grand Concourse and 

 Boulevard passes through the manor from south to north 

 from its starting-point at East 161 st Street. 



Poe Park lies on the Kingsbridge Road west of the Fordham 

 station of the Harlem Railroad. Its name is derived from the 

 poet, Edgar Allan Poe, who resided in Fordham from 1845 

 to 1849. The cottage in which he lived and in which his wife 

 died is not within the limits of the park; nor is it on the same 

 site as when Poe occupied it. The cottage is almost obscured 

 by a row of wooden flats, which shine in borrowed glory under 

 the name of "Poe Villas." Since the city has gone to the 

 expense of the park, the proper thing to do, probably, would 

 be to buy the cottage also. The author has been informed 

 that the city attempted to do this, but that the price demanded 

 is excessive. The cottage is a story and a half in height, with 

 the gable end toward the street. On the gable is a picture of 

 a raven and the legend "Poe Cottage"; from which one might 

 be led to believe that the famous poem had been written in the 

 building. As a matter of fact, the Raven was written in an 

 old house in West Eighty-fourth Street near Broadway, which 

 was standing as late as 1890. 



The story of Poe's short and erratic life is a sad one. His 

 father came from an excellent Maryland family; but, while a 

 law student, he married a beautiful actress, Elizabeth Arnold, 

 and went on the stage. The two parents died in Richmond, 

 Virginia, within a few weeks of each other, leaving three 

 destitute children, Henry, Edgar, and Rosalie. A wealthy 

 gentleman, Mr. Allan, from whom Poe received his middle 

 name, took charge of young Edgar and sent him to the Uni- 



