The Paul Laurence Dunbar House was the 1904–1906 home of poet

Paul Laurence Dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American C ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. It is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

owned by the state of Ohio and operated by

Dayton History Dayton History is an organization located in Dayton, Ohio, USA, formed in 2005 by the merger of the Montgomery County Historical Society (originally the Dayton Historical Society) and Dayton's Carillon Historical Park Carillon Historical Park is ...

on behalf of the

Ohio Historical Society Ohio History Connection, formerly The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society and Ohio Historical Society, is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1885. Headquartered at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio History Connect ...

; it is also part of

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio that commemorates three important historical figures— Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar—and the ...

. It is located at 219 Paul Laurence Dunbar Street (formerly called North Summit Street) in Dayton.

History

Dunbar had a long association with Dayton. He was born there in 1872, the son of former slaves, and his first poems were printed in the ''Dayton Herald'' in 1888. His first book, ''Oak and Ivy'' (1892) was published in Dayton by the United Brethren Publishing House as well. After serving as an elevator operator in Dayton and meeting some success for his writings, Dunbar took a job in Washington, D.C., at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

. Dunbar purchased the home for his mother, Matilda Dunbar, in June 1904. The house is an eight-room brick structure on a quiet street. When Dunbar separated from his wife

Alice Ruth Moore Alice Dunbar Nelson (July 19, 1875 – September 18, 1935) was an American poet, journalist, and political activist. Among the first generation born free in the South after the Civil War, she was one of the prominent African Americans involved i ...

in 1902, he moved in as well. By the time Dunbar moved into the house, he was sick with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

and struggling with

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

. It was in this home that Dunbar died in 1906. His death that February was signified by a black wreath which hung on the front door of the home. After Dunbar's death, his mother Matilda lived here for the remainder of her life and kept his books, manuscripts, and study as he left them. In 1932, it was reported that Matilda held an open house every year on June 27, the anniversary of her son's birth. She died on February 24, 1934.

Modern history

The home was purchased by the state of Ohio in 1936; that same year it was dedicated as the first state memorial to an African-American. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1962 and became part of

in 1992. and It is a component of the

National Aviation Heritage Area The National Aviation Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area consolidating more than fifteen aviation-related sites in the Dayton, Ohio area into a cooperative marketing and administrative framework. The National Heritage Ar ...

. A visitors center includes displays memorabilia relating to Dunbar's life and work. The visitors center is housed in a neighboring building. The property includes an old barn.

References

External links

* * * {{authority control National Historic Landmarks in Ohio Historic American Buildings Survey in Ohio Houses completed in 1894 Historic house museums in Ohio Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Museums in Dayton, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Ohio Ohio History Connection

Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ecc ...

History of Dayton, Ohio Dunbar, Paul Lawrence Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Houses in Montgomery County, Ohio Dunbar, Paul Laurence House

History

Modern history

See also

References

External links