Nina Simone’s childhood home sings once again.

The National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has completed the full rehabilitation of the humble, three-room clapboard house in Tryon, North Carolina, where Nina Simone was born and learned to play piano.

This project began in 2017 when the Action Fund partnered with artists Adam Pendleton, Ellen Gallagher, Julie Mehretu, and Rashid Johnson, who had collectively purchased the home, saving it from the threat of demolition.

The artists’ civic leadership ignited a movement. The Action Fund has worked with the artists, the Tryon community, and a dynamic team of preservation partners to completely restore the home and ensure it is protected for current and future generations to engage with Simone’s life story.

Today, that journey is being celebrated nationwide with features on both Good Morning America and in Architectural Digest magazine. And it’s only the beginning.
While the house is restored, it’s not yet open to the public. Now comes the next chapter: shaping the stories and experiences future visitors will encounter, and working hand-in-hand with the Tryon community to open the doors of this childhood home of a music icon and civil rights activist.

Explore the Nina Simone Childhood Home project and follow along for updates on what comes next.