African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Announces Completed Restoration of Nina Simone's Childhood Home

Historic North Carolina home of iconic singer restored through partnership with renowned artists, philanthropic investment, and historic preservation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (Action Fund), a division of the National Historic Trust for Preservation, has announced the completed restoration of legendary musical artist Nina Simone's childhood home in Tryon, NC. While not yet open to the public, the home will serve as a historic place to inspire visitors and artists, authentically showcasing where Simone grew up and grew into her artistic voice.

Originally built in the early 1900s, the 650-square foot, three-room clapboard house where Simone (née Eunice Waymon) was born and lived from 1933-1937 had fallen into disrepair and was threatened by demolition until it was purchased in 2016 by Daydream Therapy, LLC—a collective of the artists Adam Pendleton, Ellen Gallagher, Julie Mehretu, and Rashid Johnson.

The Action Fund's engagement with the site began in 2017 in the role of lead partner with the artists alongside Simone's brother Dr. Samuel Waymon, Tryon's East Side neighborhood residents; St. Luke CME Church, where Simone's mother was a minister; and a team of construction, architectural, and philanthropic partners (see a full list and selected quotes below).

"Preservation is an expression of what we choose to honor, and Nina Simone's childhood home is an essential landmark in our nation's artistic and cultural landscape," said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and strategic advisor to the CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The restoration of her home affirms her rightful place in the American story—one defined by brilliance, resilience, and the power of art to shape our collective conscience. We share this moment with a coalition of national and local partners, who together dedicated their expertise and resources to safeguard this site of extraordinary significance to our nation."

The Action Fund helped ensure Simone's home was officially protected in perpetuity via a preservation easement in September 2020. In 2023, the Action Fund partnered with tennis champion and philanthropist Venus Williams and artist Adam Pendleton to co-curate an auction and fundraising gala dedicated to the project hosted by Pace Gallery in New York. With additional investment from the Mellon and Tejemos foundations, the funds raised supported the comprehensive renovation and restoration efforts that began in June 2024.

Through partnerships with Every Angle Inc.; Matthews Architecture; Nelson, Byrd, Woltz Landscape Architects; and Superunison; the home has been faithfully restored using historically accurate and preserved sections of original materials, paint, and stain colors reflecting the home's appearance during Simone's time there. While it will not be reopened as a traditional house museum, furnished with her or her family's belongings, the rehabilitation honors the period and character of the space. Highlights include:

• A preservation-compliant ADA ramp that will enable visitors of all abilities to access the front porch and enter the home. The ramp's design ensures that if it is ever removed the historic property's essential form and integrity will remain intact.
• A minimally invasive, energy efficient geothermal heating and cooling system that will keep the home and grounds free of bulky, noisy equipment, and provide future visitors with a quiet space to reflect on Simone's contributions and enduring legacy.
• A swept dirt yard and the foundations of an archaeologically discovered work shed and out houses which provide an understanding of African diasporic traditions and Black life in America's rural South.
• The preservation of a nearly century-old Magnolia tree nicknamed "Sweetie Mae," that has stood on the property since Simone's childhood.

While the home's restoration is complete, it is not open to the public. The Action Fund and Daydream Therapy LLC are closely engaged with the Tryon community and its East Side neighborhood on the next phase of this project, determining a strategy for creative programming, ethical interpretation, and eventual cultural heritage tourism at the site. Until further announcements are made, the Action Fund encourages would-be visitors to engage with news about the home and progress toward a public opening via their website and social media channels.

For more information about the project, please visit https://savingplaces.org/ninasimone

A press kit of photos is available here: https://we.tl/t-2mVoNZr1hB

Quotes

Daydream Therapy LLC

Adam Pendleton: "Restoring Nina Simone's childhood home is about more than preservation—it's an act of respect and imagination. This small house in Tryon holds a vast legacy, a place where Nina first dreamed and began to shape the voice that would change the world. The completed restoration is a testament to the many people—artists, preservationists, and local voices—who united to share Nina's courage and creativity with future generations."

PR contacts: [email protected] and [email protected]

Ellen Gallagher: "I believe the house can be a portal where we can access Nina Simone in a very specific way. Visiting the site, you are aware of not only a beautifully well-appointed house, but of the way the building is nestled into the history of Tryon, North Carolina, where the community remains steadfast. We all have read about or listened to the recordings of the magisterial Nina Simone in Liberia, or Switzerland, or Paris - here we get to stand in her place at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and feel all those connections."

PR Contact: [email protected]

Julie Mehretu: Unavailable for comment at press time

PR contact: [email protected]

Rashid Johnson: "Physical spaces carry memory in a way that transcends words. Nina Simone's Childhood Home isn't just a structure, it's a vessel of her spirit, her struggle, and her genius. Preserving it gives us a place to return to. It reminds us that creativity, resistance, and beauty are born somewhere real, in rooms, on porches, in the intimacy of lived experience."

PR contact: [email protected]

National Trust for Historic Preservation: "Nina Simone's childhood home is a national treasure," said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We're proud to have played a role in ensuring that this site, which was once at risk of being lost, continues to stand so that future generations can learn about Simone's powerful life and legacy."

PR contact: [email protected]

Every Angle Inc.: "At Every Angle Inc., we were thrilled and honored to work with the team and restore this amazing piece of history," said Matthew Lucas, vice president at Every Angle Inc. "We poured our hearts and skills into this project, despite having our hometown and business destroyed by Hurricane Helene during the process. We persevered though, and are proud to have helped to restore Nina's home."

PR contact: Matthew Lucas (828) 380-0821

Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects: "The preservation of the authentic setting and 'feel' of the Nina Simone Childhood Home was of paramount importance in adapting the site for universal access for all who will make the pilgrimage to the site," said Thomas Woltz, senior principal and owner at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. "Maintaining the visual integrity of the oblique view from the street, recreating the historic swept dirt yard, and revealing the trace of the vegetable garden are all elements of the historic landscape that offer a connection to Nina Simone's early life, her family, and community."

PR contact: [email protected]

Superunison: "I have been with the Nina Simone Childhood Home restoration project from the beginning, both as the lead designer at Matthew's Architecture and as the architect providing construction administration services with Superunison," said Shane Elliot, architect and principal at Superunison. "I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be involved with such a culturally important mission and to be part of such a diligent and committed team of professionals. I couldn't be more pleased with the project's outcome."

PR contact: [email protected]

Dr. Samuel Waymon: "Black History is the backbone of American History. The restoration and preservation of Nina's birthplace IS Black American History of which I too am a part. As the youngest Waymon child, it holds such extraordinary memories of Nina, our parents and my other siblings. It keeps my feet planted solid on those grounds," said Dr. Samuel Waymon, Nina Simone's brother. "Preserving our home preserves the piano lessons, the joy, the discipline, and the discovery of her gifted talent all recorded in those walls. It's an honor to share this with the world as she would have wanted me to. I thank the Action Fund, National Trust, and others for making this happen."

PR contact: [email protected]

Venus Williams: "I'm so proud to be part of this project honoring Nina Simone, whose legacy embodies strength, artistry, and the power of speaking truth," said Venus Williams. "I'm able to pursue my passions and live my dreams because of the barriers she broke and the paths she paved. Preserving her home celebrates her extraordinary impact and ensures that the stories of women who shaped our culture continue to inspire generations to come."

PR contact: [email protected]

Project Partners

Funders

• Mellon Foundation
• Pace Gallery
• Tejemos Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• Larry Gagosian
• Sotheby's

Structural Rehabilitation and Architectural Partners

• Every Angle Inc.
• Matthews Architecture
• Medlock & Associates Engineering, P.A.
• Nelson, Byrd, Woltz Landscape Architects
• Sud Associates, P.A.
• Superunison

Preservation Partners

• Amplifier Experience Design
• Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
• Daydream Therapy LLC
• Garrison Chapel Baptist Church
• Hillsdale Fund
• HOPE Crew, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Marion Steadman Covington Foundation
• Nina Simone Project
• North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
• North Carolina Arts Council
• North Carolina Historic Preservation Office
• North Carolina Museum of Art
• Preservation North Carolina
• St. Luke CME Church
• Town of Tryon, North Carolina
• World Monuments Fund

About The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with the Ford Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc. and other partners, working to make an important and lasting contribution to our cultural landscape by elevating the stories and places of African American resilience, activism, and achievement. Visit savingplaces.org/actionfund. 

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately-funded nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities maintain and enhance the power of historic places. Chartered by Congress in 1949 and supported by partners, friends, and champions nationwide, we help preserve the places and stories that make communities unique. Through the stewardship and revitalization of historic sites, we help communities foster economic growth, create healthier environments, and build a stronger, shared sense of civic duty and belonging.
SavingPlaces.org

SOURCE National Trust for Historic Preservation