PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When the National Marian Anderson Museum and Historical Society closed in March 2020, it suffered a huge financial loss. Months later, the rowhome endured a slew of water-related damage — burst pipes, a flooded basement, and then a collapsed roof.
“It was like a double whammy for us,” said Jillian Patricia Prittle, museum CEO.
The restoration process cost the museum almost $500,000 and forced them to move tours online until further notice.
Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson on Wednesday presented the museum with a $250,000 check to help pay for its ongoing repairs.
To date, the museum was able to fully restore the collapsed roof and ceiling and reinstall the original skylight Marian Anderson and her husband commissioned. The museum has also been able to restore some artifacts, but because they’re from the 1800s and materials are scarce, Prittle said they’re three times as expensive as regular home restorations.
“We’re grateful for those in the community who have not abandoned us during this time of struggle, who have still said ‘we’ll do the virtual touring and programming to support’ or ‘we will come to your off-site events that you’ve had,’” she added.
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The money from the city is in addition to at least $105,000 Johnson secured for the museum since December 2020.
Prittle said it is a lifeline for the museum to survive. She hopes the museum will be able to fully reopen by 2023.
“We want the community to come back in person,” she said. “We want the tourists who come from all over the world to Philadelphia to celebrate history in America’s birthplace, to be able to experience Marian Anderson on that level.”
The museum, founded in 1995, is a national historic landmark for the late opera singer’s life and legacy. Anderson was a renowned classical singer and civil rights pioneer during the 1930s, best known for her concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.
The museum is also home to the Scholar Arts Program, which helps cultivate young professional singers. This year’s annual winter concert takes place Saturday at the Chapel of Four Chaplains at the Navy Yard.
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