Paul Robeson
Born in Princeton, New Jersey, as the son of a former slave who became an educated minister and a Quaker mother, Robeson had a storied career. After graduating from Rutgers University and Columbia Law School, Robeson started a career in law but soon moved to the stage. With a career spanning 50 years, Robeson performed in plays and sang across the country and abroad. He often sang African American spirituals, introducing a genre of music to people who did not see it a serious musical form.
He was also an activist, speaking in support of workers and common people both abroad and in the U.S., and marched against discrimination. As a result, he and his wife endured physical, financial, and reputational harm. While Robeson did eventually regain some of his stature, he and his accomplishments are still not fully recognized or acknowledged today.
Paul Robeson House & Museum and the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
The Paul Robeson House & Museum was bought by Robeson’s sister Marian Forsythe with her husband in the late 1950s. After his wife passed away in 1966, Robeson visited his sister and felt so comfortable at her home that he decided to move in.
Robeson enjoyed living in Philadelphia. He would often sing with neighbors while they accompanied him on the piano. He would also read foreign newspapers, go out to the movies, watch sports on television, and spend time with friends. He passed away in 1976.
After Forsthye died a year later, the house was left to her daughter. It had been vacant for more than 12 years when the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (WPCA) bought it in 1994. WPCA was formed in 1984 to help satisfy the city’s need for more cultural institutions in its neighborhoods.
WPCA was looking for a place to carry out its mission, and the house where the famous Robeson once lived was ripe for a new purpose. WPCA bought the house and the attached twin, and sought the community’s advice on whether renovating it to be used for cultural events was the best use. The community agreed.
So, the WPCA went about restoring it as a legacy to Robeson, securing funding from a variety of sources. The first restoration was mostly completed in 2015.
In 2000, the house became an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. In 2005, it was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2004-2005 “Restore America” sites.
Today, the Paul Robeson House and Museum offers tours of an exhibit titled “Paul Robeson: Up Close and Personal” consisting of record albums, paintings, books, photos and other artifacts pertaining to the man. It also offers space for art shows, community meetings, and other events.
The Renovation
The West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance recognized the need to invest in the house by completing façade renovations, infrastructural improvements, and widening accessibility. Improvements include electrical and lighting improvements, reorganizing the first floor of 4949 Walnut St (the museum is at 4951; 4949 houses the administrative offices); updating the 3rd floor apartment to be used for WPCA’s artist-in-residence program; breaking down the wall between the two homes; remodeling the kitchen; and installing a wheelchair lift on the adjacent porch.
By providing a $75,000 grant, the Foundation recognized the need to invest in a historic home of a notable singer and fighter for equal rights. In addition, the Robeson House serves as a vital space in West Philadelphia for artists and community members to come together to share ideas, connect, and learn.
“While renovations to historic homes fall outside of The Presser Foundation’s typical funding areas, the Paul Robeson House represented something truly special. Supporting this project allowed us to honor not just the extraordinary musician Paul Robeson, but also to invest in a vital community space where the arts continue to thrive in West Philadelphia. The building serves as both a testament to Robeson’s remarkable legacy and a modern hub for artistic expression and community gathering – making it precisely the kind of transformative capital project we’re proud to support,” shared Corey Smith, current Honorary Trustee at The Presser Foundation and the Chair of the Capital Support Committee at the time of the grant.
Since the Renovation
The WPCA outlined the impact of the grant from the Foundation for its efforts.
“The impact of this grant gave seed funding to WPCA to begin infrastructure projects needed to run the facility more efficiently and to continue with valuable programming for the community and beyond. WPCA partners with local government agencies, academic institutions, literary organizations, community groups, and arts and cultural organizations to implement ‘arts education,’ ‘arts in education’ and ‘community outreach’ interpretive programs at the Paul Robeson House. These programs are designed to carry out the vision and mission of WPCA and the Paul Robeson House.
“We are grateful for this grant that not only strengthens our efforts to share Paul Robeson’s inspiring story, but one that emphasizes the importance of the arts in West Philadelphia.”
Learn more about Paul Robeson, his life, his and his sister’s home, and much more. Thanks to the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for the information on Paul Robeson and the Paul Robeson House & Museum.
