Marian Anderson House

Built in 1870, this residence would later be home to an opera singer and civil rights advocate Marian Anderson. The home was built as a two-story brick building in the Italianate architectural style. Marian purchased the home in 1924, which is the same year she became the first African-American concert artist to record the genre of spirituals for a record company. She resided in this house until 1943.

Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897 and became one of the most iconic opera singers. She recorded spirituals for a major American recording company and is known for her wide variety of performances across the nation. Anderson's performances range from an exclusive event at the White House and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to local concerts. She was a strong supporter of civil rights, and also saw discrimination in her career. For example, she was denied a chance to perform at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution who owned the venue. In response, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR.

Following that event, Anderson and Roosevelt established a friendship and the First Lady invited Anderson to sing a concert on Easter Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial and later at the White House. Anderson has also sang at two presidential inaugurations with those being the ones of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. She was also the goodwill ambassador for the United States Department of State during a tour to Asia. President Eisenhower even assigned her as an alternate delegate in the United Nations General Assembly.

The house was constructed in 1870 and acquired by Anderson in 1924. In 1943, Anderson would get married and moved to Connecticut, but was still listed as the owner of the house. Her family would continue to live in the house for a very long time after she moved out. After her mother and sister passed away, the family sold the house in 1990. The property is now owned by the Marian Anderson Historical Society and now operates as a museum. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 2011.

Simpson , Ashley. “Remembering Marian Anderson: The First Black Artist To Perform At The Met Opera,” CR Fashion Book. February 27th 2020. Accessed May 24th 2021. https://www.crfashionbook.com/culture/a31101857/marian-anderson-historic-met-opera-singer/.

“National Marian Anderson Museum,” Marian Anderson Historical Society. Accessed May 24th 2021. http://marianandersonhistoricalsociety.weebly.com/.

“Marian Anderson House”, National Park Service. April 7th 2021. Accessed May 24th 2021. https://www.nps.gov/places/marian-anderson-house.htm.