National Historic Landmark sign destroyed at famous Black opera house

HOMEWOOD, Pa. — Officials with the National Negro Opera House say they’re trying to find out what caused the National Historic Landmark sign to end up pieces.

“We were just trying to scramble and find out like what happened,” said Sydni Goldman.

Goldman said her colleague sent her pictures of the damage sign and when she went to check it out for herself, a police patrol was passing by and she was able to make a report. She said it looks like a car may have hit the sign because KIA car pieces were left at the scene.

The National Negro Opera House was the first Black opera house in the United States. It also served as a boarding house for famous Black athletes.

Several groups are working to raise money to restore the house. They said this sign is just one more thing they’ll have to deal with.

“It’s just really devastating. We’re really just trying to get the community to like rally around and understand the history that’s connected to the house and we’re doing all of these efforts to try and help save it. And so that’s just another setback for us,” Goldman said.

The house, nestled in Homewood, sat largely forgotten and was declared structurally unsafe. It opened in 1941 and athletes like Roberto Clemente once stayed there. The owners said it could take hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars to restore the property.

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