Anne Spencer House
Encyclopedia
The Anne Spencer House, in Lynchburg, Virginia
, USA was, from 1903 to 1975, the home of Anne Spencer
, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance
. She was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry. Not only was Spencer a successful poet, she was also a committed activist for equal rights, and her house also served as a political center of the community. It was the first center for the local NAACP chapter, and she entertained such notable figures as Hughees, Marian Anderson
, George Washington Carver
, Thurgood Marshall
, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Weldon Johnson
, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
The Pierce Street House was built in 1903, and the surrounding area includes a large garden and a one-room retreat called Edankraal, where Spencer did much of her writing. The house is a two-story clapboard home. On the first floor, one can find a living room, dining room, sunroom, front hall, and kitchen. The second floor includes four bedrooms and sunroom. The third floor, which is not open to the public, is an area that was mainly used by Spencer’s grandchildren..
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, USA was, from 1903 to 1975, the home of Anne Spencer
Anne Spencer
Annie Bethel Spencer was an American Black poet and active participant in the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance period....
, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
. She was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry. Not only was Spencer a successful poet, she was also a committed activist for equal rights, and her house also served as a political center of the community. It was the first center for the local NAACP chapter, and she entertained such notable figures as Hughees, Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
, George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
, Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson was an American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and...
, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
The Pierce Street House was built in 1903, and the surrounding area includes a large garden and a one-room retreat called Edankraal, where Spencer did much of her writing. The house is a two-story clapboard home. On the first floor, one can find a living room, dining room, sunroom, front hall, and kitchen. The second floor includes four bedrooms and sunroom. The third floor, which is not open to the public, is an area that was mainly used by Spencer’s grandchildren..
External links
- Anne Spencer House - official site
- Information on the Anne Spencer House from Virginia African American Heritage Program
- National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form
- National Register Nomination: Anne Spencer House, Lynchburg photograph
- Anne Spencer House, Study, 1313 Pierce Street, Lynchburg, VA: 3 photos and 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey
- Anne Spencer House, 1313 Pierce Street, Lynchburg, VA: 5 photos, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page, at Historic American Building Survey