A major investment is giving new life to one of Pittsburgh’s most important Black historic sites. The National Opera House has been awarded a $1.75 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to continue the restoration and preservation of the historic property at 7101 Apple Street in Pittsburgh.
The house, located in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, was once the headquarters of the National Negro Opera Company and is recognized as the birthplace of classical jazz. It is also the only surviving building directly connected to the National Negro Opera Company, which was founded in 1941 by trailblazing arts leader Mary Cardwell Dawson.
The grant represents a significant investment in preserving one of the nation’s most important Black cultural landmarks. Funding will support the next two years of work, helping move the project beyond stabilization and into its next phase of restoration and activation.
“This grant is a powerful affirmation that this site matters, not only to Pittsburgh, but to the American story,” said Jonnet Solomon, Executive Director of the National Opera House. “Mary Cardwell Dawson built a national platform for Black opera singers at a time when the country tried to shut them out. Reconstructing this house is about protecting that legacy and returning it to public life.”
Throughout its history, the Apple Street property served as the Dawson School of Music, the home of the National Negro Opera Company, a rehearsal space, a community gathering place, and even a residence for members of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates. From this modest home, Dawson helped launch careers, challenge racial barriers in classical music, and build an organization whose influence reached Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, the White House, and audiences across the country.
The National Opera House plans to transform the restored site into a cultural, educational, and heritage destination. Once completed, the facility will offer space for preservation, live performances, research, workforce development, and educational programming.
“This is the perfect moment to bridge the erased history with its unmet future,” Solomon said. “It is the recovery of a cultural institution that America nearly lost.”
About the National Opera House
The National Opera House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Pittsburgh. Founded in 2000 by Miriam White and Jonnet Solomon, the organization’s mission is to restore the historic property at 7101 Apple Street while preserving the legacy of the artists and history connected to the site. The organization is led by a board of directors and supported by staff, consultants, volunteers, and brand ambassadors, with a commitment to helping individuals reach their fullest potential.
