The Christian Recorder - Support the restoration of the Tanner House in Philadelphia

Built-in 1871, this North Philadelphia rowhouse was home to Henry Ossawa Tanner, an internationally recognized painter the Smithsonian American Art Museum has described as "the most distinguished African American artist of the 19th century." From 1871 to 1950, this National Historic Landmark was also home to many of Tanner’s family members who were esteemed in their rights, including his mother, Sarah Elizabeth Tanner, who self-emancipated from enslavement as a child, along with her siblings, with the support of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society; his father Benjamin Tucker Tanner, minister at Mother Bethel AME and later Bishop in the AME church and editor of the largest Black-owned periodical in the U.S.; his sister Dr. Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson, the first woman of any race to be a licensed physician in Alabama; and his niece Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the first Black person in the United States to earn a PH.D. in Economics from an American university, and also the first National President of historic Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. In the years since the Tanner family lived in the house, the majority-Black Strawberry Mansion neighborhood has experienced disinvestment and discrimination due in part to redlining, segregation, and systemic racism. Today, ongoing gentrification threatens to erase the area’s Black cultural legacy and heritage landmarks, such as the Tanner House, which is already seriously deteriorated and in danger of collapsing. The Friends of the Tanner House—a Black-led, multi-generational coalition of community advocates formed in 2021 to champion the site’s preservation and reuse—is currently working to acquire the property and reimagine the house’s future. Together with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and other community partners, the Friends will create a long-term stewardship plan that honors the legacy of this place and reflects the powerful impact of Black heritage, innovation, and achievement. For information on how to contribute to the legacy, visit https://savethetannerhouse.org/. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see past TCR Dialogues.

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The Christian Recorder is the official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the oldest continuously produced publication by persons of African descent.   Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr., Chair of the General Board Commission on Publications Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, President/Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union Dr. John Thomas III, Editor of The Christian Recorder Copyright ©  2023 The Christian Recorder, All rights reserved.