Historic National Opera House in Homewood wants to be heard

Jonnet Solomon wants to hear voices bellow from the stage again.

“I want to give people access to music once again,” said Solomon, of Mt. Washington, referring to the National Opera House, formerly known as the National Negro Opera House, in Homewood.

The iconic building sits empty at 7101 Apple St.

Since Solomon purchased it, she and others have been writing letters asking for support to help restore and refurbish the structure.

They don’t know if the mail she sent arrived or the information was even read. But they can’t wait much longer.

The National Historic Landmark was named as one of Discover America’s 11 most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“I lit the match, but I can’t be the entire flame,” she said. “We need others to fuel the fire. We need many people to support this. We need to build awareness.”

And they also need money. It will require $3 million to $5 million to restore, Solomon said.

“When I bought the house I thought it was on its last leg, but really, it’s on its last toenail,” she said. “Being named as an endangered building could be just the recognition the building needed to get some attention.”

They are trying to create a buzz through a virtual challenge where vocalists post themselves singing and tag another performer.

A big part of the reason to save the opera house is to honor and continue the legacy of Mary Cardwell Dawson, born on Valentine’s Day in 1894, who founded the National Negro Opera Company in 1941, said Chantal Braziel, an opera singer based in Pittsburgh.

She performed on the steps of the opera house on Jan. 11 with Candace Burgess, a fellow soprano and Pittsburgh-based opera singer.

“There is so much history in this building,” Braziel said. “Some things are just priceless and can’t be replaced.”

The house is a rich part of Pittsburgh history, said Sydni Goldman, a Pittsburgh-based creative media director.

“We need to come together to save it,” Goldman said. “It will definitely take a village. The opera house is more than a performance venue. It can be a place for people of all backgrounds to gather.

“That was Mary Cardwell Dawson’s vision, and we want to help others see that same vision.”

Dawson began by singing in the church choir and then enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music, the only African American in her class, according to the opera’s website. She earned degrees in voice and piano and continued her studies at the Chicago Musical College in New York with a dream of becoming an opera singer.

But there were no opportunities for African American opera singers.

So Dawson gave Black singers opportunities, some who went on to perform in New York, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C.

Over time, the organization started to lose money. Dawson died a stroke on March 19, 1962. The opera folded months later.

The house received its first historical marker dedication in 1994.

Solomon, a musician with Steelpan Co., which was started by her father, bought it in 2000 and founded an organization to fund and restore the house. There have been occasions where Solomon has had to fight to keep the house from being torn down, she said.

Having more people advocate for the building is so important, Solomon said.

People can donate here.