Lewis H. Latimer House facts for kids
The Lewis H. Latimer House is a special historic home in Flushing, Queens, New York City. It was built between 1887 and 1889 in a style called Queen Anne. This house was the home of Lewis Howard Latimer, a famous African-American inventor, from 1903 to 1928.
Today, the house is a museum. It teaches visitors about Latimer's amazing inventions and his life. It also shares the stories of other important Black scientists. The Latimer family owned the house until 1963. Now, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation owns it. The Lewis H. Latimer Fund, Inc. runs the museum. It is also part of the Historic House Trust.
Contents
A Home for an Inventor
Lewis Latimer bought this house in 1902. It was in a neighborhood in Flushing, Queens, where most people were white. Latimer believed in people of all races living and working together. He wanted to start a local group of the Unitarian Church in his community.
Changes to the House
The house was a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. When Latimer bought it, people said it was already 100 years old. He made two big changes to the house:
- He added a small studio on the southeast side. This was a place where he could work and create.
- In 1912, he made the attic bigger by adding dormers (windows that stick out from the roof).
After Latimer passed away, more changes were made. For example, the front porch was closed in. Later, when the house was moved, his studio was removed because people didn't know it was his special workspace.
Honoring a Great Mind
Lewis Latimer was a very important person. He even helped install the first electric lights in New York City. In 1986, a city leader named Morton Povman honored Latimer in his Flushing home. Povman gave a special award to Latimer's granddaughter, Winifred Norman. He said that Latimer had achieved "so much in so many fields."
Artist Tom Lloyd also pointed out how important the house was. He said there are "very few houses related to black people designated as landmarks in New York City and State." This shows how special the Latimer House is.
Saving a Piece of History
The Latimer House was originally on Holly Avenue. In 1988, it was going to be torn down. But a group of people decided to save it. They formed a group called the Committee to Save the Latimer House.
Moving the House
Two of Latimer's grandchildren, Gerald Latimer Norman and Winifred Latimer Norman, were part of this group. Tom Lloyd and Rev. Mitchell quickly became co-chairmen. They worked with the Queens Historical Society to save the house.
Moving the house was expensive. The General Electric Foundation gave $25,000 of the $36,000 needed. The house was moved to Leavitt Field. This field was chosen because it was across the street from Latimer Gardens, which were also named after Lewis H. Latimer.
Restoring the House
The Committee to Save the Latimer House became a non-profit organization in 1990. It is now called the Lewis H. Latimer Fund, Inc. This group has worked hard to make the house look like it did when Latimer lived there, between 1912 and 1928.
Some of the restoration work included:
- Removing the closed-in front porch.
- Rebuilding Latimer's studio.
- Restoring the original layout of the rooms inside.
In 1995, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission officially named the Lewis H. Latimer House a city landmark. This means it is a very important historical place that must be protected.
See also
