Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

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• Collection: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

• Title: Marian Anderson Heritage Village, The street boundaries of the district are: North Boundary -- Bainbridge Street; South Boundary -- Christian Street; East Boundary -- Broad Street; and West Boundary -- 21st Street. The historical home and museum of Marian Anderson is located within the heritage village at 762 Martin Street (renamed Marian Anderson Way), Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA
• Creator(s): Historic American Landscapes Survey, creator
• Related Names:
     Anderson, Marian
     Rucker, Anna Delilah
     Anderson, John Berkley
     Anderson, Alice
     Anderson, Ethel
     Paterson, Mary Saunders
     Hayes, Roland
     Robeson, Paul
     Fisher, Orpheus
     Burton-Lyles, Blanche
     Marian Anderson Historical Society
     Stevens, Chris , transmitter
• Date Created/Published: Documentation compiled after 2000
• Medium: Data Page(s): 18
• Reproduction Number: ---
• Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html)
  
• Call Number: HALS PA-23
• Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
• Notes:
  • 2013 HALS Challenge Entry: Documenting the Cultural Landscapes of Women
  • Significance: Marian Anderson Heritage Village Commemorating A Singer of International Fame: Marian Anderson was a world renowned contralto and opera singer. Born in south Philadelphia in 1897, (1897-1993, lifespan), Anderson was one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century, and she was an important figure in the quest for black artists overcoming racial prejudice in the United States. As an Afro-American singer, she broke barriers for minority artists through many signature musical events including that of being the first Afro-American to perform in the Metropolitan Opera (Giuseppe Verdi's Uno ballo in maschera). Her Lincoln Memorial Concert to an audience of approximately 75,000 people on Easter Morning, April 9, 1939 in an open air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (a concert aided by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt) was arranged after Anderson was denied a singing appointment at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Anderson's unusual voice was described by Arturo Toscanini as the type that comes along "once in a hundred years". Anderson's worldwide concert tours spanned 1925-1963 including Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States with musical repertoire of classical concert, lieder, opera, traditional American songs and spirituals. "Marian Anderson, a Portrait of Music" recording was released in 2004, featuring two Festival of Music telecasts in 1956. In addition to her singing career, Anderson was a United Nations delegate in 1958 for the UN Human Rights Committee and as a "goodwill ambassadress" for the United States Department of State. She participated in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, singing at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Numerous other awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, the National Medal of Arts in 1986, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991. Anderson's singing career began in south Philadelphia where she initially participated in the choir at the Union Baptist Church at 19th & Fitzwater Streets. At the age of ten, Marian joined the People's chorus under the direction of Emma Azalia Hackley where she was awarded solos. Her early exposure to music was through local Philadelphia churches, the YMCA, and other community music events throughout the city including the Philadelphia Choral Society. In her early teens, she received further opportunities through the Baptists' Young People's Union and the Camp Fire Girls. Funds were raised on her behalf by her church community to receive voice lessons from local singer and coach Mary S. Patterson and to attend and graduate from the Philadelphia High School for Girls. Her training continued outside of Philadelphia through vocal competitions and through growing success as a concert artist through training with noted singing coaches including Guiseppi Boghetti and Agnes Reifsnyder. Historic Site: The site is a recognized historic "village" in south Philadelphia, known as the Marian Anderson Heritage Village, which received official recognition in Philadelphia in November 2008. The village is not a designated city historic district, however the area would benefit from a nomination through the Philadelphia Historic Commission for historic recognition. The size of the village is 14 square blocks, with boundaries defined by Broad to 21st streets (E/W), and Bainbridge to Christian Streets (N/S). The village receives international visitors and had generated news stories including a number of television documentaries and broadcasts. Local interest for the district within Philadelphia is low, and the historic village and museum draws very few local visitors. There are minimal visual reminders of the singer to draw attention to the village area and museum on Marian Anderson Way (Martin Street). A few street-sign banners are noted on utility poles (which are faded and need replacement), and more banners are needed to define the village perimeter. The curator of the Marian Anderson Historical Society, Phyllis Sims, has noted that funds are needed for banners and other area improvements). Within the village, the following sites were frequented by Anderson in her youth or commemorated in her name (in addition to the home and museum): Edwin M Stanton Grammar School formerly at 1700 Christian Street Union Baptist Church 19th & Fitzwater Streets where Anderson sang as a child Birthplace 1833 Webster Street Other family lodgings were either rented by the family or owned by other family members where Anderson and her sisters and mother resided after the death of Anderson's father in 1912 i.e. 1617 Fitzwater Street, 2000 block of Carpenter, and various residences on Christian Street YMCA 1724 Christian Street (rebuilt) where Anderson sang on occasion Marian Anderson Recreation Center 17th Street between Fitzwater and Catherine Streets commemorated in Anderson's name after being rebuilt in 1951 formerly the McCoach Playground, which features a playground, baseball diamond, multi-purpose youth facilities, community center, and swimming pool
  • Survey number: HALS PA-23
  • Building/structure dates: ca. 1897- ca. 1993 Initial Construction
  • Building/structure dates: ca. 1924 Subsequent Work
  • Building/structure dates: ca. 2000 Subsequent Work
  • Building/structure dates: ca. 2008 Subsequent Work
  • Building/structure dates: ca. 1951 Subsequent Work
  • Building/structure dates: ca. 1914 Subsequent Work
  • National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 20110414
• Subjects:
  • villages
  • African Americans
  • people associated with entertainment & sports
  • Baptist churches
  • schools
  • recreation centers
  • historic house museums
  • sidewalks
  • streets
  • row houses
  • civil rights
  • women
  • women's rights
• Place:
  • Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia County -- Philadelphia
• Latitude/Longitude: 39.942364, -75.174952
• Collections:
  • Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey
• Part of: Historic American Landscapes Survey (Library of Congress)
• Bookmark This Record:
     https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/pa4147/

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

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• Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
• Reproduction Number: ---
• Call Number: HALS PA-23
• Medium: Data Page(s): 18

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• Call Number: HALS PA-23
• Medium: Data Page(s): 18

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