Anne Spencer was a poet, a civil rights activist, a teacher, librarian, wife and mother, and a gardener. More than thirty of her poems were published in her lifetime, making her an important figure of the Harlem Renaissance and only the second African American poet to be included in the 'Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry' (1973). Spencer shared intellectual respect and repartee with such notables as James Weldon Johnson, who first discovered her poetic talents in 1919, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Countee Cullen, Zora Neal Hurston,George Washington Carver, Amaza Lee Meredith, Gwendolyn Brooks, and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The home's current furnishings are almost identical to Anne Spencer's time there, and include her favorite magazines, bed linens, and toiletries. Reflected throughout the decor is Anne Spencer's love of color, which she used without hesitation and in unlikely combinations. The garden, which served as inspiration for much of Spencer's poetry, was restored in the 1980's and is open without charge from dawn until dusk everyday. The Garden Conservancy continues to provides preservation assistance to maintain garden. Also in the garden, is Spencer's writing cottage "Edankraal," a combination of the words "Edward," "Anne," and "kraal," the Afrikaans word for enclosure or corral.
Amenities
- Family Friendly
Price Information
- HOUSE TOUR: Adults: $10.00; Seniors: $5.00; Children under 12: $3.00 (Children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult); College Students (with institutional ID): $5.00; GROUP RATES (10 or more): Adults: $5.00; Seniors: $5.00; College Students (with institutional ID): $3.00; GARDEN: Free & open everyday from dawn until dusk
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Last Updated: 03/17/2016
