National Historic Landmark

Tanner, Henry O., House

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
May 10, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76001672

About this property

The Henry O. Tanner House is a historic house at 2908 West Diamond Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was from 1872 to 1888 the childhood home of Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937), an African-American artist who was the first of his race to be elected to National Academy of Design. This rowhouse was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The Henry O. Tanner House is located on Philadelphia's north side, on the south side of West Diamond Street between 29th and 30th Streets. It is a three-story brick rowhouse, set between a similar-height rowhouse and the modern Mount Lebanon Church. It has a three-part picture window with flanking sashes on the ground floor, with the entrance to its left, both devoid of styling. The upper two levels are filled with an oriel window bay, whose exterior has been clad in aluminum siding. The building cornice has also been covered in aluminum, although projecting decorative brackets are visible at the ends. The interior of the building has also been significantly altered since occupation by the Tanners. Henry Ossawa Tanner's parents moved to Philadelphia in 1866, and were documented living here in 1872. Encouraged by well-educated parents, Tanner embarked on the study of art, enrolling in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1880 and studying with Thomas Eakins. Tanner achieved his greatest success in Paris, where he settled in 1891, in part to avoid the harsh racial climate in the United States at the time. His works won awards at the annual Salons in 1896 and 1897. In 1927 he was elected a full member of the American National Academy of Design, the first African-American to be so honored. List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places listings in North Philadelphia Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1740, "Henry O. Tanner House, 2908 West Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA", 4 photos, 1 data page, 2 photo caption pages

Location

2908 W. Diamond St.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.98773, -75.18118

Categories

ARTBLACK
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

Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church, Rectory and Parochial School
Industrial
0.1 mi
West Diamond Street Townhouse Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Houses at 1907-1951 N. 32nd St.
Civil War
0.3 mi
American Railway Express Company Garage
Industrial
0.3 mi
Plaza Apartments
Modern
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
3.3 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
3.7 mi
Battle of Germantown
1777Revolutionary War
4.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tanner, Henry O., House listed on the National Register?

Tanner, Henry O., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Tanner, Henry O., House?

Tanner, Henry O., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Tanner, Henry O., House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Tanner, Henry O., House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Tanner, Henry O., House?

The period of significance for Tanner, Henry O., House is recorded as the industrial era.

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