Poe House Museum

Poe Baltimore Museum’s mission statement states: “Poe Baltimore is committed to enriching the experience of visitors to Baltimore, who come to witness the city that inspired Edgar Allan Poe and his intellectual and literary heirs. We are committed to protecting, preserving and celebrating the rich history of the city, the house, and the legacy of one of our most beloved denizens.” 

In accordance with this mission, the vision is to expand the facilities to become a larger center that can host arts, culture, and educational programs as well as more exhibits.  Financial sustainability is also a key goal, providing spaces that can host programmed events.  The Board envisions that classroom and auditorium spaces be included as we as a reading room that together would enable the Museum to host events such as dramatic readings, literacy education, and other arts and culture programs and events.

Currently, the historic Poe House has room for exhibit space and a small gift shop at the original “living room.”

The house is very small with no room for other supportive uses. Therefore, the Poe Baltimore board recognized the need for new spaces with exhibits and even virtual tours accessible to differently abled visitors.  As a development approach, the proposal utilizes the public housing units to be acquired by the Poe House and Museum as a Phase I expansion.  The proposal largely preserves the exterior of the building with new doors and windows that are in keeping with the original construction.  The interior would be fully renovated to accommodate the Museum’s space needs with the gift shop at the entrance and a small exhibit space.  Also on the first floor would be a meeting room which would during this phase serve as the story-telling space/ auditorium as well as a classroom.  The second floor would be converted to administrative office space including the Executive Director’s office, an open office area with up to three workstations, a copy/ supply room, toilet room, break room kitchenette, and collections storage space. 

At the exterior, the corner of N. Amity Street and W. Lexington Street is left open as a public garden and forecourt to the Museum.  The open space would be able to accommodate small events as well as be an informal outdoor space for guests and community members. 

Phase II would entail an addition at the east side of the site, detached from and wrapping around the Poe House to engage the rear of the Phase I wing.  The two-story addition would house the new gift shop with dedicated storage space as well as a linear exhibit space along the east wall.  Meanwhile, the first floor of the Phase I wing would be converted from gift shop and exhibit space into a reading room/ library with the adjacent meeting space made into a proper classroom.  The first floor would connect to the Phase I wing with direct access.  Upstairs, there would be an approximately 800 SF auditorium that can hold approximately 40 people as well as additional exhibit space along the east wall.  The addition would also have an elevator and connection to the Phase I wing to enable both wings to be ADA accessible. 

There would also be a basement underneath the Phase II addition which would house the collections storage as well as support spaces such as mechanical and electrical rooms and general storage.  The Phase II addition would be approximately 7,900 sf. 

Davin’s Role: Design Principal

Client: Poe Baltimore

Architect: Living Design Lab

MEP Engineer: Above Group

Structural Engineer: Onyx Structural

Cost Estimator: Whiting-Turner