Last night, I went to the Grand Re-Opening of the Hiram Haines Coffee House, as owner Jeff Abugel describes it, a "Literary Tavern". This is the first of a two part posting on this wonderful shop!
From Poe 200th:
12 Bank Street, Petersburg, Virginia
Poe spent his honeymoon in the Hiram Haines Coffee House. Haines, a newspaper editor and friend of Poe’s lived in the adjacent building at 16 Bank Street.
Poe spent his honeymoon in the Hiram Haines Coffee House. Haines, a newspaper editor and friend of Poe’s lived in the adjacent building at 16 Bank Street.
An early admirer of Poe’s work, Haines became a lifelong friend of the poet’s. Haines once offered to give Poe’s wife a fawn as a gift, but Poe politely declined the present because he did not know a convenient way to ship a deer.
For years, the Coffee House was occupied by a used office furniture store, but a new owner more appreciative of the building’s history has recently purchased it and will convert it into a “literary tavern.”
The decor is nothing short of brilliant. It feels like you are stepping back in time.
The collections of brown transfer-ware and pewter take you back to 1836.
In homage to Poe, Ravens take residence in vignettes throughout the shop.
There was even the spectral presence of Edgar Allan Poe and Virginia Clem. Such lovely newlyweds!
The table settings were so believable to the period, we had another 'ghost' appearance!
Here tea and cookies were set out for the honored guests.
Here is an antique cappuccino machine. Right now the Literary part of the "Literary Tavern" is running full steam ahead, you can find many hard to find books, art books, leather bound literary classics, books on Virginia, works by Poe, and more. There are also plenty of unique Edgar Allan Poe souvenirs to remind you to come back! Don't forget the coffee!
Here in the next little bit, the "Tavern" part will become a reality--wine, beer, and a very simple menu to go along.
These are a few photos of the storefront looking in from outside.
Stay tuned, there's more! The second part of the post should be up sometime this weekend! To wet your visual palette, here is a preview:
