The childhood home of legendary singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone has been fully restored, marking a significant victory for the preservation of Black history in America, according to essence.com. Located in Tryon, North Carolina, the property was saved from the brink of demolition thanks to a high-profile rescue mission led by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
The 650-square-foot wooden cottage, where Simone lived with her family between 1933 and 1937, had fallen into severe disrepair by the 2010s. In 2017, a collective of Black conceptual artists, Adam Pendleton, Ellen Gallagher, Julie Mehretu and Rashid Johnson, purchased the site for $95,000 to prevent its destruction.
“Nina Simone’s childhood home isn’t just a structure; it’s a vessel of her spirit, her struggle,l and her genius,” said Rashid Johnson. “Preserving it reminds us that creativity, resistance, and beauty are born somewhere real.”
The restoration was a collaborative effort involving Simone’s brother, Dr Samuel Waymon, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2023, tennis star Venus Williams also joined the cause, spearheading fundraising efforts to ensure the project’s completion.
Architects have worked to keep the three-bedroom house as authentic as possible. Original timber walls remain intact, and the towering magnolia tree that shaded Simone as a child still stands in the front garden. Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the Action Fund, noted that the interior is designed to feel “more like a home than a museum.”
The completion of the project arrives at a critical cultural moment. As efforts to marginalise Black history persist in some political spheres, the restoration stands as a physical testament to Simone’s enduring impact on the American story.
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund expects to open the site to the public in 2027. For supporters, the project is more than just a renovation; it is an affirmation of Simone’s brilliance and the power of art to shape the collective conscience.
•Featured image: Nina Simone (1933-2003) performs live on stage at Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, United States on 4th July 1968. David Redfern Premium Collection. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
