Historic Houses of Creative Geniuses
Genius ran through generations of the Wister family -- Daniel Wister, astronomer, botanist and chemist; Owen Wister, author of “The Virginian;” and Sally Wister, diarist -- and accounts of the family’s many accomplishments are retold at Grumblethorpe, the John Wister’s pre-colonial home.
Edgar Allen Poe, who channeled his emotional turmoil into haunting poetry and eerie novels, spent some of his most productive years in Philadelphia. Stroll through his tiny house and it’s easy to understand how he came up with ideas for “The Telltale Heart,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and other classics.
Marian Anderson didn’t set out to be a civil rights activist, but she is remembered almost as much for the controversy that found her as for her thrilling contralto. Her modest rowhouse in Southwest Center City belies the great talent she would become. Paul Robeson’s enormous talents in music, theater and political activism stand in sharp contrast to the confines of his small rowhouse. The house museum traces Robeson’s controversial life, his accomplishments and creative spirit.