Baltimore’s connection with Edgar Allan Poe is undeniable. The disturbed author called Baltimore home for many years, his literary career started there, and he ultimately passed away under mysterious circumstances in a Baltimore hospital back in 1849.

When Baltimore regained an NFL franchise in 1996, the city decided to name the team The Ravens, after one of Poe’s most famous literary works. However, Baltimore is now in danger of losing one of its longest lasting ties with the man it has so dearly embraced.

The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum is likely to close its doors due to budget cutbacks enacted by the city. The museum lost its $85,000 budget two years ago and has since relied on privately raised funds to operate. However, many are tightening their belts in the tough economy and funding is quickly drying up.

The small museum attracts about 5,000 people arriving on Baltimore flights each year. Officials are currently conducting a feasibility study to examine ways to become more self-sufficient, but they are unlikely to bridge the funding gap needed to continue operation, according to a Reuters report. The Poe House is likely to close at the end of June 2012.

Source: Reuters

Flickr: Mitch LeClair