1897 Poe House

The 1897 Poe House was the home of the E.A. Poe family. Mr. E.A. Poe was a local businessman and owner of the Poe Brick Company, not the famous writer of the macabre! 

Learn about life in the first decades of the twentieth century and the changes that defined this era by touring the home of this affluent Fayetteville businessman and his family. Tours highlight women's roles, African American history, children's roles, and technological, economic, and social changes in southern North Carolina and the country during this era.

Tour Times and Information

The 1897 Poe House is open for guided tours only. Visitors must check in at the Museum of the Cape Fear lobby to begin the tour. Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Tours are free, suggested donation $2 per adult, $1 per child.

TOUR TIMES: 

TUESDAY-FRIDAY  11:00AM, 1:00PM, 3:00PM

SATURDAY ON THE HOUR 10:00AM-4:00PM

SUNDAY ON THE HOUR 1:00PM-4:00PM

 

Poe House March 2016

Historical Events of the Time Period


  • In 1897, the local paper supported William Jennings Bryan for president. Bryan was defeated by William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901 and succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt.
  • In 1897, Pepsi-Cola, concocted by a pharmacist in New Bern, NC named Caleb Bradham, turned one year old.
  • The New York Sun runs the famous editorial "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus."
  • Thomas Edison patented his movie camera Kinetograph.
  • Amelia Earhart is born in Kansas.
  • The first Library of Congress building opens it doors to the public.
  • Elias Carr served as Governor of North Carolina until 1897 when he was replaced by Daniel Russell.
  • Women's suffrage movement continues throughout the United States.
  • The Spanish-American War begins in 1898.
  • Spanish Flu Pandemic 1918-1920.


Invoking the Spirits: A Poe House Halloween

Written by Megan Maxwell, 1897 Poe House Education Coordinator

Produced and Directed by Jonathan Hornby Productions

The Family

A family portrait of the Poe Family
The E.A. Poe Family circa 1910. Seated in front are E.A. Poe and Josephine Poe. Their children from Left to Right: Dixie, James, Josie, Allan, Helen, Hilda, Margaret and Lillie.

 

Left: Domestic servants, Nancy the cook and Jenny the nurse in the Poe House backyard c.1900; Center: The Poe House c.1900; Right: The Poe Brickyard c.1900-1910
Left: Domestic servants, Nancy Graham or Ingram, and Jenny (possibly Barksdale) in the Poe House backyard. Nancy worked as a cook for the Poe family and Jenny was the children's nurse. c.1900; Center: The Poe House c.1900; Right: The Poe Brickyard c.1900-1910