Firstival: The First Modern Detective Story Written

The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site is hosting a Firstival on Saturday, October 31, from 11 AM to 1 PM, and the theme is one that puts Philadelphia right at the start of a whole genre. Long before Sherlock Holmes ever stepped foot in 221B Baker Street, Edgar Allan Poe was sketching out the blueprint for the modern detective thriller. He wrote The Murders in the Rue Morgue right here in Philadelphia in 1841, and it's widely recognized as the world's first modern detective story. It basically gave birth to the whole thing—the mystery, the suspense, and the art of the detective tale as we know it.

The day is part of 52 Weeks of Firsts, a citywide celebration produced by the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee to honor Philadelphia's legacy of innovation and the country's 250th anniversary in 2026. The program runs every Saturday from January 3 to December 26 across more than a dozen neighborhoods, with each Firstival built around a different Philadelphia first. This one centers on Poe's contribution to the detective story, and like the others, it follows a set format: an opening ceremony, a storyteller, family activities, music, giveaways, and a #1 sculpture painted by Mural Arts Philadelphia and hand-created by local artists.

October is a big month for the series, and Poe isn't the only first getting a look. The same month marks the first penitentiary in America, the city's first inhabitants, the first U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and the first motion picture shown to a public audience. If you've been following the Saturdays, you've probably seen a few of these pop up around the city already. This one puts the spotlight on the Rue Morgue and the detective tradition that started here, with the sculpture and workshop at the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, 532 N. 7th Street, on Saturday, October 31, from 11 AM to 1 PM.