You may knowthat Edgar Allan Poe was one of the University's most famous students, but do you know what happened to his dorm furniture? How much do you really know?
At age 17, Poe enrolled at the University on Feb. 14, 1826, as the 136th of 177 students to register. Poe had received special tutoring throughout his childhood, but a strong recommendation from John Hartwell Cocke -- a member of the first Board of Visitors and a good friend to both Thomas Jefferson and Poe's foster father, John Allan -- most likely played a part in his acceptance to the University.
Upon arriving at the University, Poe registered for only two classes in the Schools of Ancient and Modern Languages, taught by Professors George Long and George Blaetterman. Most students took three classes, but Poe, dependent upon his foster father for money, could not afford the $75 tuition fee required for a course load of three classes.
Although he was a very successful student who received top honors for his final exams in both French and Latin, Poe was in class from only 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. each morning. Consequently, he had free time during which he was able to satisfy his love of the outdoors with regular hikes around the surrounding Charlottesville area. Poe also joined the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, serving as the body's Secretary.
Because Thomas Jefferson often enjoyed inviting University students to his home at Monticello for dinner, it is likely that Poe had the opportunity to meet the University's founder prior to Jefferson's death on July 4, 1826.
Poe's financial troubles finally caught up to him in December of 1826. Having run out of the funds allotted to him by his foster father, and unable to find any creditors in Charlottesville, Poe turned to gambling to try to increase what little money he had left. Unfortunately, Poe was unable to transform his writing abilities into any talent at cards and was forced to leave the University 10 months after he arrived with a debt of over $2,000.
Poe's residence of 13 West Range was renovated in the 20th century as a historic display for the University community and its visitors. Although decorated in a style typical of the early 1800s, the furniture today is not Poe's own. Too poor to afford even firewood, Poe burned his furniture to keep warm during one of his last nights at the University.
Perhaps in homage to his brief stay at the University, two lines in Poe's famous poem, "To Helen," recall the classical architecture of Greece and Rome found in the Academical Village.
So the next time you're rushing across the Lawn on your way to class,stop for a moment, look around and share Poe's appreciation for the "airs that have brought me home to the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome."
Michael Ehmann is a Cavalier Daily Columnist who covers people and events in the University's history.
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