Anne Spencer House facts for kids
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Anne Spencer House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Anne Spencer House, Lynchburg VA, November 2008
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1313 Pierce St., Lynchburg, Virginia |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Part of | Pierce Street Historic District (ID14000527) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76002224 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1976 |
| Designated CP | August 25, 2014 |
The Anne Spencer House in Lynchburg, Virginia, was the home of Anne Spencer. She was a famous poet during the Harlem Renaissance. She lived here from 1903 to 1975. Today, it is a museum that opened in 1977.
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Discover the Anne Spencer House
This special house was built in 1903 by Edward Spencer. It sits on Pierce Street in Lynchburg. The property also has a large garden. There is a small, one-room building in the garden. This building is called Edankraal. Anne Spencer did much of her writing there. The name "Edankraal" combines "Edward" and "Anne." "Kraal" is an Afrikaans word for an enclosed space.
The house itself has two stories. It is built in the Queen Anne style. This style often features different roof shapes and textures. The front of the house has two main parts. One part is set back and has a sloped roof. The other part sticks out a bit and has a pointed roof.
Inside the Spencer Home
On the first floor, you will find several rooms. These include a living room, a dining room, and a sunroom. There is also a front hall and a kitchen. The front hall is decorated with mirrors and flowers. This makes it feel like a "garden of light and colors." The ceilings and archways have fancy trim called crown molding. A small phone booth is even built under the stairs.
The second floor has four bedrooms. It also has a full bathroom and another sunroom. The third floor is usually not open to visitors. It used to be a fun space for Edward. He had a pool table and a small bathroom there. Later, it became a space for the Spencer grandchildren.
Creative Changes Over Time
The Spencer family made changes to their home as they grew. Edward Spencer was very creative. He used old materials to improve the house. For example, he used old windows, doors, and railings. He turned a screened porch into a cozy den. The lattice from the porch was reused to create a garden entrance.
Edward also used copper sheets from a department store. These sheets were once part of a window display. He used them to decorate the dining room walls. Bright red leather doors from a movie theater were also reused. They became kitchen doors leading to a side porch. Large stair railings were saved and used in the attic. This was for the grandchildren's "dormitory room." He even added a second bathroom there.
A Historic Landmark
The Anne Spencer House is very important. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it is a nationally recognized historic site. It opened as a museum in 1977. The house is also part of the Pierce Street Historic District.
In 2022, the museum received special funding. This money came from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It will help the museum hire a director. This person will help with programs and restoration projects.
Anne Spencer's Impact in Lynchburg
Anne Spencer was a very important person. She was the first Virginian to have her poems in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry. She was also the first African-American to achieve this. This book collects important American poems.
Spencer was also a strong activist for equal rights. Her home was a meeting place for community leaders. Anne and Edward Spencer worked to start a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This group works for civil rights. They even hosted James Weldon Johnson at their home. He helped them create the chapter.
The Spencers welcomed many famous people to their home. These guests included Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, and George Washington Carver. Other notable visitors were Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., and W. E. B. Du Bois.
