Edgar Allan Poe was possibly the most original literary talent
ever to reside in Baltimore, and his death here, in 1849, at the
age of 40 left an indelible mark on the city. Today, the house
on North Amity Street, west of downtown, where the writer lived
and worked for a time during the 1830s is a local landmark that
draws visitors from across the country and around the world.
But last week the Poe House Museum was forced to close
temporarily, after the city ended its decades-long financial
support for the institution. Its fate now rests on whether it
can successfully make the transition from being a city-owned
venue to a self-sustaining entity under the direction of a
private, nonprofit board.  On Wednesday, the city Board of
Estimates is expected to approve a measure allowing the Poe
House to partner with the B&O Railroad Museum as it seeks to
reestablish itself on independent footing. Under the plan, the
city would award the railroad museum a one-time $185,000
contract (out of funds raised by the Poe Hous