Located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, this home is considered to be Poe’s inspiration for his short story The Fall of the House of Usher. The home was originally the property of the Usher family, who were well-known for being among the first to sell and print books in the thirteen colonies ("Hezekiah Usher"). One of the earliest homes built in the colonies, the Usher house was constructed in 1684 over a "half-cleared pasture" and grew into a large manor-like estate from a small house (Watkins & Rossiter 91). Close to Boston Common, the infamous Ushers took an interest in several of the affairs across the developing town. Hezekiah Usher I helped found the First Church in Boston, held several positions in the town government, and remained Boston's selectman until his death in 1659 ("Hezekiah Usher"). Following his death, his son Hezekiah Usher II had the house built in his honor.  When the house was torn down in 1830, there were supposedly two embracing bodies found hidden within the cellar (Watkins & Rossiter 125). A location such as this lends itself to Poe’s Gothic style, as the property’s history embraces both the macabre and the Usher family's greater significance to America's literature and history.

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