National Opera House

The ‘National Opera House’ or the ‘NOH’ is a Nonprofit Organization with 501(c) (3) status. Our mission is to restore and maintain the historic house at 7101 Apple Street in Pittsburgh, PA. Through this preservation, we continue a legacy of creative excellence that nurtures talent and widens access to opportunities. Our team has joined together in an effort to restore, protect and preserve this monumental heritage, reclaiming its original beauty and purpose. The house on Apple Street is a place of enormous cultural and historical significance both for the Pittsburgh region and for the nation. It became a center of Black community life when William “Woogie” Harris, one of Pittsburgh’s first black millionaires, bought the property in 1930. The house rose to national significance in 1941, when Mary Cardwell Dawson, a celebrated musician and educator, rented the third floor of the house as an office and rehearsal space for the National Negro Opera Company, the first permanent African-American Opera company in the nation. It is because of her legacy that the house is known today as the “Opera House.” It was a grand home for artists, musicians and students in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. For locals and visitors alike, this house was a bedrock of culture, education and artistry for black people in the Pittsburgh community. Our plans include recreating many original elements of the house and landscape, as well as having a museum to educate on the history and legacy of what Madame Dawson inspired. Once restored, this site will again be a gathering place and arts district for the community – offering programs designed to serve its members of every age, race, and background. To get involved, please email us at info@nationaloperahouse.org!