Poe Baltimore, the group tasked with taking over the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, announced a reopening date of October 4, 2013. Though the museum will be akin to its predecessor, slight adjustments to operations will be made, such as closer attention paid to the story surrounding Poe in Baltimore and the house in particular. The museum will also attempt to depict what Baltimore was like when Poe lived there. Many objects of interest, such as Poe’s stepfather’s telescope and a lock of Poe’s hair, should be returning to the house.

According to Ann Barton Brown, a museum consultant on the project, the intrusion of the 21^st century is being kept to a minimum. Still, Digital Harbor High School of Baltimore has tasked students with designing a website projected to be up and running in July. The possibility of allowing visitors to use credit cards (the museum was formerly cash-only) is also being discussed. Poe Baltimore President and actor Mark Redfield said of the reopening, "I think Poe Baltimore will be bringing some nice, new things to the house. I think the house, when it opens, will speak to people about the various aspects of what Poe did there."

The house was closed in September 2012 when the city decided it was not able to continue funding the $85,000 a year tourist attraction. Poe Baltimore was formed shortly thereafter to figure out a way to take over the museum and make it profitable. The city is now paying the nearby B&O Railroad Museum $180,000 to consult in the transition. The bill approving that payment also requires that Poe Baltimore take over operation of the house within a year.

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-ae-poe-house-20130516,0,477264.story