The Fight To Preserve a Historic Black Family's Home

At 2908 W. Diamond Street sits the home of the world-renowned Black painter Henry Ossawa Tanner, who rose to fame in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1976, the home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but in the decades after it fell into disrepair, culminating in the City of Philadelphia designating it an “unsafe structure” in 2021. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Christopher R. Rogers, co-coordinator of the Friends of the Henry O. Tanner House, about how that group is fighting to preserve this piece of Black history, and his tips for getting started in the process of protecting a historic site in Philly. Keep up with efforts to preserve the Tanner House here. Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Philly. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly. Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 215-259-8170. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices.