At the end of his life, famed singer, actor, activist and athlete Paul Robeson came to live in West Philadelphia in 1966 with his sister Marian R. Forsythe in a three-story home at 4951 Walnut St.

After moving in with his sister and her husband, Dr. James Forsythe, Robeson could be seen waving at neighbors from the large front porch and would welcome many of his celebrity friends to the house like actors Harry Belafonte, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

Almost 50 years after his death, the Paul Robeson House and Museum reopened to the public on October 10 with a grand reopening celebration after eight months of major renovation.

 

Azsherae Gary, interim executive director of the Paul Robeson House, said the most recent renovations to the annex were made possible from funding from the Mellon Foundation.

The building adjacent to the house and museum, long referred to as "the annex" will be officially renamed during the reopening, and now includes expanded office and archive space, a renovated kitchen and event hall with capacity for up to 150 people, and the Paul Robeson House Artist-in-Residence suite.

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