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The home of
John Hazelhurst Boneval Latrobe, this building is the only
surviving site associated with the famous Baltimore Saturday Visiter
contest that launched Poe on his literary career. Early in the fall of
1833, Mr. Latrobe, Mr. John P. Kennedy and Dr. James H. Miller met here
to peruse the submissions and select two winners, one for fiction and
one
for poetry. The judges enthusiastically awarded Poe $50 for the best
short
story, "MS Found in a Bottle" and nearly granted the him double honor
of
best poem as well for "The Coliseum." (Ultimately, the poetry prize was
awarded to J. H. Hewitt instead.) After the announcement, Poe visited
Mr.
Latrobe at his office nearby to thank him and to collect the prize.
Mr. Latrobe was to recall in 1875, at the unveiling of the Poe
Monument:
"Of this interview, the only one I ever had with Mr. Poe, my
recollection
is very distinct indeed, and it requires but a small effort of
imagination
to place him before me now, as plainly almost as I see any one of my
audience.
He was, if anything, below the middle size, and yet could not be
described
as a small man. His figure was remarkably good, and he carried himself
erect and well, as one who had been trained to it. He was dressed in
black,
and his frock-coat was buttoned to the throat, where it met the black
stock,
then almost universally worn. Not a particle of white was visible.
Coat,
hat, boots and gloves had very evidently seen their best days, but so
far
as mending and brushing go, everything had been done, apparently, to
make
them presentable. On most men his clothes would have looked shabby and
seedy, but there was something about this man that prevented one from
criticizing
his garments, and the details I have mentioned were only recalled
afterwards.
The impression made, however, was that the award in Mr. Poe's favor was
not inopportune."
For many years, this building contained the offices of Fallon &
Hellen, Incorporated, a furniture manufacturer. It is now a private
residence
and is not open to the public. An historical marker affixed to an
exterior
wall describes the site.
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