National Register of Historic Places

Thomas, Alma, House

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
July 27, 1987
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86002923

About this property

The Alma Thomas House is an historic house, located at 1530 15th Street, N.W., in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Built in 1875, by Thomas G. Allen, the Italianate row house was the residence and studio of noted African-American artist Alma Thomas (1892–1978). The owner of the House is Miss J. Maurice Thomas and the Preservation approach is private and is not accessible to the public. Rosa Douglass Sprague, daughter to Frederick Douglass, lived at 1530 15th Street, before Alma Thomas's parents moved in, in 1907. This house was successfully nominated for the National Register for Historic Places and was officially listed on July 28, 1987. Noted African American artist Alma Thomas lived in the home until her death in 1978 along with a sister, J. Maurice Thomas. John Maurice Thomas, who was named for their father, lived at the home until her death in 2004, and the home passed to a nephew, who later sold the home. Alma Thomas was an important African American artist who gained recognition during a time when Black women faced limited opportunities in the art world. In 2016 about 40 years after Alma Thomas passing, One of her abstract paintings from 1966 titled Resurrection became the first painting by a black women to have been hanged in the White House. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a contributing property to the Greater Fourteenth Street Historic District. After graduating from Howard University in 1924, Alma Thomas continued her educations and was the first African American to graduate in fine arts. During that time she also taught at Shaw Junior High School. On June 19, 1987 Alma Thomas house nomination form was approved by the National Register Of Historic Places in Washington D.C. National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - completed 1987 form for the Alma Thomas House. Media related to Alma Thomas House at Wikimedia Commons

Location

1530 Fifteenth St. NW
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.91083, -77.03461

Categories

ARTEDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Colonial
0 mi
Administration Building, Carnegie Institute of Washington
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0.1 mi
Woodward, Robert Simpson, House
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0.1 mi
Grace Reformed Church, Sunday School and Parish House
Civil War
0.1 mi
Wardman Row
Civil War
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Thomas, Alma, House listed on the National Register?

Thomas, Alma, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Thomas, Alma, House?

Thomas, Alma, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Thomas, Alma, House?

The period of significance for Thomas, Alma, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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