Anderson, Marian, House
Why it's listed
A two-story brick rowhouse in the Southwest Center City area of south Philadelphia, the house was built around 1870 and renovated between 1928 and 1940. It has an ell-plan footprint, a flat roof and a bracketed Italianate wood cornice. Anna Anderson bought it on March 28, 1924, and her daughter Marian Anderson, the contralto, lived there and used it as her primary residence and business office. Marian paid toward the purchase and the renovations, and a rehearsal room was built above the kitchen. The house was the base for her management company and for her touring career. In 1938 Marian bought the house for one dollar, and architect Orpheus Hodge Fisher designed its interior panelling and a new brick façade. The property is regarded as significant for its connection to Anderson's concert career and her role in the civil rights movement.
Significance in brief: The house was the home and business base of contralto Marian Anderson from 1924 to 1943, when her career reached its most successful period. It was used as her residence, rehearsal space and management office. The nomination links the property to her career and to her role in the civil rights movement, including the 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 11000198, listed April 14, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 762 S Martin St, Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | April 14, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000198 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Orpheus Hodge Fisher (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian / Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Performing Arts, Black |
| Level of significance | National |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Center City West Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.94431, -75.17458 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 11000198.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2949230
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.