The childhood home of Nina Simone in Tryon has now been fully restored — but it is not yet open to the public, according to a recent news release from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Simone, born Eunice Waymon in 1933, spent her early years in the small, three-room clapboard house before rising to international fame as a musician and civil rights voice. Local preservation efforts over more than a decade helped keep the 650-square-foot home standing, but stalled plans eventually led to its sale in 2017 to New York-based artists Adam Pendleton, Ellen Gallagher, Julie Mehretu and Rashid Johnson — a turning point in the long preservation story BPR has continued to track.
After the purchase, the artists partnered with the Action Fund, which led the multiyear restoration and helped shape a long-term strategy to protect the site for future generations.
The completed restoration returned the house to its historic appearance using preserved original materials and period-accurate paint and finishes. The project also added an ADA-compliant access ramp and an energy-efficient, geothermal heating and cooling system designed to maintain the quiet character of the site. Outside, crews restored the property’s swept dirt yard, marked the foundations of former outbuildings and preserved a nearly century-old magnolia tree that has stood on the property since Simone’s childhood.
Despite the construction’s completion, the home will remain closed for now. Project leaders say it will not operate as a traditional house museum furnished with family belongings. Instead, the next phase — determining how the space will be used — is taking shape through ongoing meetings with residents of Tryon’s historically Black East Side neighborhood, along with preservation partners and Simone’s family. Those conversations are expected to guide future plans for interpretation and eventual cultural heritage tourism.
The preservation effort is part of a broader national movement to protect sites connected to Black history and culture, many of which were at risk of permanent loss.
In the news release, Simone’s brother, Samuel Waymon, called the restoration a way to safeguard both the home and the memories tied to it. “Preserving our home preserves the piano lessons, the joy, the discipline and the discovery of her gifted talent all recorded in those walls,” he said.
No timeline has been announced for a public opening. Project leaders say they will share additional details about programming and access as planning with the Tryon community continues.
