A Landmark Victory for Black Heritage: Friends of the Tanner House Acquires Historic Henry Ossawa Tanner House
The Henry Ossawa Tanner House, 2908 W. Diamond St., August 2026
For Immediate Release:Thursday, August 20, 2026
Contact: Alistair Glover, Aglover@Ceislermedia.com
PHILADELPHIA — Friends of the Tanner House has acquired the National Historic Landmark Henry Ossawa Tanner House at 2908 W. Diamond Street, securing one of Philadelphia’s most significant Black cultural landmarks for long-term nonprofit stewardship and future reuse as a community-rooted arts and heritage hub.
The acquisition marks a major victory for the preservation of Philadelphia’s vibrant cultural history and the legacy of the Tanner family, whose members helped shape Black art, faith, education, medicine, civil rights and civic life in Philadelphia and beyond. The property is most closely associated with Henry Ossawa Tanner, the internationally acclaimed Black artist whose life and work helped shape the cultural legacy that influenced generations of Black artists, including those of the Harlem Renaissance era.
“This acquisition is the result of years of grassroots preservation work, community advocacy and belief in what the Tanner House can become,” said Dr. Christopher R. Rogers, Coordinator of Friends of the Tanner House. “Since late 2021, Friends of the Tanner House has worked to move this property from endangered status toward a future as a world-class public cultural asset rooted in Strawberry Mansion.”
The Tanner family owned the property from 1872 until about 1950. The house was originally purchased by Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner and Sarah Elizabeth Miller Tanner, Henry Ossawa Tanner’s parents, while Bishop Tanner was serving with Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The home is also connected to other distinguished members of the Tanner family, including Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander.
When Friends of the Tanner House first became involved, the property was badly deteriorated and had been cited as an unsafe structure. The grassroots advocacy group formed a nonprofit organization, working closely with estate representative Dr. Michael Thornton, preservation partners, and supporters to prevent the building’s loss, advance emergency stabilization work, and has now completed the acquisition needed to move the project into its next phase.
The house is a National Historic Landmark, the highest federal designation given by the National Park Service, and is one of only 67 National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia. It is also one of a small number of those landmarks directly connected to Black history and heritage.
“Friends of the Tanner House has shown what grassroots preservation can accomplish, and the Preservation Alliance is proud to support this work as fiscal sponsor and preservation partner,” said Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. “This is not only about saving a historic building. It is about protecting a place that carries the story of one of Philadelphia’s most remarkable Black families and ensuring that its future is shaped by the community.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Henry Ossawa Tanner House to its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2023, helping elevate national attention around the urgent need to save the property. The National Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund also awarded the Friends of the Tanner House a $100,000 grant in 2023 that supported the building's urgent stabilization and helped make nonprofit ownership possible.
"As our nation commemorates its 250th anniversary, it is critical that legacies like Henry Ossawa Tanner's are preserved for future generations," said Brent Leggs, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The Tanner family's story is an inspiration for all Americans about the power of perseverance, self-determination, and artistic vision to shape a cultural renaissance not just in this country, but around the world."
“The Henry Ossawa Tanner House represents the kind of nationally significant Black heritage site that must be protected, invested in, and returned to active public life,” said Tiffany Tolbert, co-director of the National Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. “Friends of the Tanner House has led a powerful community-centered effort to secure this landmark, and we are proud to support the next chapter of its preservation and revitalization.”
Friends of the Tanner House has received significant support from individual donors, institutional partners and public officials. The organization thanks State Senator Vincent Hughes, State Senator Sharif Street, State Representative Jordan Harris, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, former Council President Darrell Clarke, and former State Representative Donna Bullock for their support, advocacy and work to help advance the effort.
With nonprofit ownership now secure, Friends of the Tanner House will continue planning for the property’s revitalization and future use. The organization has worked with UNION Studio Architecture & Community Design on a community-informed design process. Early plans envision space for screenings, lectures, events, small gallery exhibitions, a backyard garden, a tech-enabled library for community-based research, meeting space for community groups and a residency for invited artists or caretakers.
The organization is expected to focus the remainder of 2026 on capital campaign planning, with a broader fundraising push anticipated in 2027. Construction timing will depend on the organization’s ability to secure the resources needed for restoration and reuse.
Friends of the Tanner House remains committed to delivering community programming while the long-term restoration plan advances, including cultural programs, writing workshops, preservation-related projects and neighborhood partnerships. We invite local, national, and international supporters to learn more, contribute, and stay connected at savethetannerhouse.org.
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About Friends of the Tanner House: Friends of the Tanner House, Inc. is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the historic Tanner family property at 2908 W. Diamond Street in North Philadelphia. Through heritage stewardship, Friends of the Tanner House honors the growth, development and sustenance of the rich Black cultural life of North Philadelphia through family-centered artistic, intellectual and cultural programming.
About the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia: The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia is a nonprofit organization that promotes the protection and appropriate development of the Philadelphia region’s historic buildings, communities, and landscapes. By providing advocacy, education, and technical assistance, the Alliance works to ensure that historic places remain vital assets that enrich the city’s cultural identity and economic growth. Learn more at www.preservationalliance.com.
