Alma Thomas House

Alma Thomas House
Alma Thomas House is located in the District of Columbia
Alma Thomas House
Location within the District of Columbia
Location1530 15th Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°54′38.51″N 77°2′4.37″W / 38.9106972°N 77.0345472°W / 38.9106972; -77.0345472
Built1875
Architectural styleItalianate
Part ofGreater Fourteenth Street Historic District (ID94000992)
NRHP reference No.86002923
Added to NRHPJuly 28, 1987

The Alma Thomas House is an historic house, located at 1530 15th Street, N.W., in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

History

Built in 1875, by Thomas G. Allen, the Italianate row house was the residence and studio of noted African-American artist Alma Thomas (1892–1978).

The owner of the House is Miss J. Maurice Thomas and the Preservation approach is private and is not accessible to the public.

Rosa Douglass Sprague, daughter to Frederick Douglass, lived at 1530 15th Street, before Alma Thomas's parents moved in, in 1907.

This house was successfully nominated for the National Register for Historic Places and was officially listed on July 28, 1987.

Noted African American artist Alma Thomas lived in the home until her death in 1978 along with a sister, J. Maurice Thomas. John Maurice Thomas, who was named for their father, lived at the home until her death in 2004, and the home passed to a nephew, who later sold the home.

Alma Thomas was an important African American artist who gained recognition during a time when Black women faced limited opportunities in the art world.

In 2016 about 40 years after Alma Thomas passing, One of her abstract paintings from 1966 titled Resurrection became the first painting by a black women to have been hanged in the White House.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a contributing property to the Greater Fourteenth Street Historic District.

After graduating from Howard University in 1924, Alma Thomas continued her educations and was the first African American to graduate in fine arts. During that time she also taught at Shaw Junior High School.

On June 19, 1987 Alma Thomas house nomination form was approved by the National Register Of Historic Places in Washington D.C.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Alma Thomas House". 38.910530;-77.034569: LandmarkHunter.com. July 28, 1987. Retrieved February 3, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. 1 2 Valentine, Valerie L. (May 16, 2020). "Longtime Home of Artist Alma Thomas For Sale in Washington, D.C., for $2.2 Million+". Cultural Type. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Alma Thomas Residence, African American Heritage Trail | Cultural Tourism DC". Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  5. ↑ Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (03/02/1934 - ). Washington, DC SP Thomas, Alma, House. Records of the National Park Service.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/86002923_text
  7. ↑ [DC History Sites "Alma Thomas House For over 70 years, this was the home of Alma Thomas, a pioneering African American artist and art educator"]. DC Historic Sites. Archived from the original on March 26, 2026. Retrieved March 26, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)
  8. ↑ Richard, Paul (February 25, 1978). "Alma Thomas, 86, Dies". Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Obituaries: John Maurice Thomas". Washington Post. March 25, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Alma Thomas". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ Hall, Ian. "Alma Thomas House in Washington". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Alma Thomas House: For over 70 years, this was the home of Alma Thomas, a pioneering African American artist and art educator". DC Historic Sites. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Alma Thomas House: For over 70 years, this was the home of Alma Thomas, a pioneering African American artist and art educator". DC Historic Sites. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Alma Thomas House: For over 70 years, this was the home of Alma Thomas, a pioneering African American artist and art educator". DC Historic Sites. Retrieved March 28, 2026.