Marian Anderson museum in opera singer's former Philadelphia home reopens after devastating flood
Five years ago, a burst pipe soaked much of the late singer Marian Anderson's former Philadelphia home, today a museum dedicated to her artistic and civil rights legacy.
Gowns, sheets of music and newspaper clippings were damaged in the flood and some artifacts were too far gone to be recovered. As far as the structure itself, the needed repairs were extensive for the rowhome building on Martin Street in the Graduate Hospital section of the city.
Museum CEO Jillian Patricia Pirtle remembers the sadness of the flood and extensive damage to the building. Anderson purchased the home in 1924 with $4,000 in proceeds from her music.
"Seeing Marian Anderson's artifacts flooding in 3.5 feet of flood water and debris was so heart-breaking. It made me saddened but determined to make sure that everything that I could do, I was going to try to do," Pirtle said.
Costs to repair the water damage were estimated at $500,000. Restoration work included fixing the building itself — it was stripped down to the studs — but also fixing treasures like Anderson's designer dress worn on the cover of the record "Softly Awakes My Heart" and the Steinway grand piano.
But Saturday was a happy day for the museum and those who love the late opera star, who died in 1993 at the age of 96. It was time for the museum to reopen.
Pirtle was joined by city officials including City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington and state Rep. Jordan Harris as they cut a red ribbon. The celebrations continued through the weekend with a gala at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building.
We got a sneak peek ahead of the reopening as Pirtle set one of Anderson's designer gowns for display in a case.
"As we see Marian Anderson develop the makings of her dream that would be fulfilled, all of that started in Philadelphia, her home," Pirtle said. "The place that was her city and beloved."
Anderson is perhaps best known for her famous, hastily scheduled 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Because she was Black, she was denied access to Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution, something that also happened to late Philadelphian performer Paul Robeson.
Instead, Eleanor Roosevelt and President Franklin D. Roosevelt arranged for Anderson to perform at the memorial. The concert was attended by 75,000 people, more than the capacity of Lincoln Financial Field.
Decades later she would sing at the March on Washington.
In a recent interview, Pirtle expressed hope that those who visit the museum will be inspired by Anderson's story.
"They can say, 'I, too, can be a young tenor, I can be a baritone bass, I can be a contralto or soprano, I can be a historic figure that can help change the world,'" Pirtle said.
Anderson was one of the inaugural honorees on the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame along the Avenue of the Arts, and as of June 2024 music lovers can step off the avenue into the main concert hall at the Kimmel Center, named Marian Anderson Hall.
The museum accepts donations on its website.
"Thinking about the finish line for the Marian Anderson Museum feels like a dream come true. If I can hear a tour guest come in that door and say 'I feel Marian Anderson's spirit,' we will have accomplished our goal," Pirtle said.
