Nina Simone's Tryon childhood home closer to historical preservation: What to know
The building where iconic singer, musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone was born in Tryon will undergo restoration as a historic site after gaining protection under a preservation easement.
The African American Cultural Heritage Fund, a program of the National Historic Trust for Preservation, secured protections for Simone's birthplace that bind all current and future owners to protect the building. The house, built in 1930, can be renovated — as long as the building's "authentic character" is preserved, and cannot be demolished.
A news release from the heritage fund said that general contractor Every Angle Inc. of Western North Carolina, has been selected for a restoration project that will restore the home as an interpretative historic site that tells the story of Simone's early life.
During the first phase of the project contractors will install an exterior ADA accessible ramp, geothermal heating and cooling system and interpretative landscape elements. A project arborist will collaborate with contractors to determine the best location for ramp footings to protect a nearly century-old magnolia tree at the rear of the home.
Interpretative landscape will feature a replicated swept dirt yard and preserved foundations for a work shed uncovered during an archaeological survey. These additions are intended to help visitors gain a deeper historical understanding of Black life in America's rural South.
Simone, born Eunice Waymon in 1933, grew up as the sixth of eight children to parents Mary Kate Waymon and the Rev. John Devan Waymon. The historic three-room, 660-square foot clapboard house where she was raised is located on East Livingston Street. The now 90-year-old home was originally designated a "National Treasure" in 2018. At the time, the National Trust called the property "deteriorating yet nationally significant."
Citizen Times reporting from 2020 said that the National Trust went on to work with the property's owners and several partners to preserve the property. Rehabilitation efforts are also supported by proceeds from a crowdfunding campaign launched in summer 2019, which drew contributions from A-list celebrities like John Legend, Issa Rae and Mahershala Ali.
Simone, ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, wrote music in several genres including jazz and R&B. Songs mentioned in the 2020 Citizen Times article included famous tracks such as "My Babe Just Cares For Me," "Mississippi Goddam" and "I Loves You Porgy."
The same article mentioned her civil rights anthems, which covered topics ranging from Jim Crow laws to the assassination of Medgar Evers and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Alabama.
Simone died in 2003 at age 70 after a bout with breast cancer.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Nina Simone historic Tryon childhood home restoration gets contractor
