Work begins next week on restoration of National Negro Opera House in Homewood
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Apple Street in Homewood will soon see some heavy construction equipment at the site of a historic Queen Ann-style mansion.
Behind the overgrown foliage, some say, is a diamond with a sparking story.
"Mary Cardwell Dawson was a hidden story, was a hidden figure," said Jonnet Solomon, executive director of the National Opera House. "A huge part of history, it's a huge part of Pittsburgh's history, a huge part of history in opera."
Solomon is referring to the 13-room mansion that was once home to the National Negro Opera House. It was home to the first Black opera company in the world and was started by Dawson in the 1940s.
Solomon said the first phase of the restoration and construction work begins on Monday. Solomon has been waiting for Monday for more than 20 years. She acquired the property in 2000 thinking it would only take a few years to renovate.
"Excitement because it's a long time to get here, but this is zero," she said. "So, I'm excited to get started, but I know that all of the major work is still ahead of us."
In its heyday, the home was the place in Pittsburgh where you could see famous Black music legends like Lena Horne and Marian Anderson. The plan now is to restore the luster of the old home.
"All of the drywall is being removed. All of the old flooring tile is being removed," said Vallon Wallace, construction manager of the National Opera House.
He said it will take about five months to do the stabilization and asbestos removal in the home. However, it has several historic architectural elements, including the Queen Anne-style roofline and original stonework.
"A lot of people say, Why don't you just tear it down?' But if I walk you through it, it's very sound. Seventy-five percent of this house is structurally sound," Wallace said.
The entire restoration is expected to be done in two years. The three-floor structure will create a place for a museum, music lessons and community.
"Because that's what it was before. It was an amazing gathering space," said Solomon.
