Marian Anderson House


The Marian Anderson House is a historic home located in the Southwest Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built circa 1870 in the same neighborhood where opera singer and civil rights advocate Marian Anderson was born 27 years later, this two-story, brick rowhouse dwelling was designed in the Italianate style. Purchased by Anderson in 1924, the same year she became the first African-American concert artist to record spirituals for a major American recording company, she continued to reside here until 1943.

History and architectural features

The Marian Anderson House was built circa 1870 as a two-story, brick terraced dwelling in the Italianate style. A studio was added above the previously one-story, rear kitchen ell sometime around 1925. The home was then extensively renovated circa 1940. It served as the residence of opera singer and civil rights advocate Marian Anderson from 1924 to 1943. The property currently houses the Marian Anderson Historical Society.

Placement of this property on the National Register of Historic Places

The nomination materials for placement of the Marian Anderson House on the National Register of Historic Places were reviewed by Pennsylvania's Historic Preservation Board on February 1, 2011 at 9:45 a.m. at the Labor and Industry Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Also considered for National Register placement at this meeting were: the Robb Farm in Huntingdon County, the McCook Family Estate and the John A. Brashear House and Factory in Pittsburgh, the Montrose Historic District in Susquehanna County, the Quakertown Historic District in Bucks County, Wilpen Hall in Sewickley, Alden Villa in Lebanon County, and the Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, as well as multiple historic African American churches in Philadelphia that were presented together on a "Multiple Property Documentation Form."
This historic residence was then officially added to the National Register of Historic Places later in 2011.