Poe's Range Room

Located at the University of Virginia, visiting the Range Room is a dream for every Edgar Alan Poe fan. The Range Room was Poe’s dorm room during his student days at the university. Although he was only a student at the university for one year in 1826, many suggest his seeds of creativity were planted there. In 1904, the Raven Society was founded in honor of Poe to sponsor scholarships and fellowships that recognize academic excellence. The Raven Society restored Poe’s dorm room in 1924 in Poe-era condition. The room includes a settee, from one of Poe’s current homes, a writing desk with a black feather quill, and a stuffed raven on the window sill. The society uses the Range Room for annual midnight initiation ceremonies. Poe's work is read, and new members sign their names in a book of names with a quill pen. Since it is an exclusive society, visitors are not directly allowed into the room. There's a glass door that allows you to see the room as it is, accompanied by an audio display of Poe’s life.