James Weldon Johnson House

James Weldon Johnson House

The James Weldon Johnson Residence located at 187 West 135th Street, Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, is where James Weldon Johnson lived from 1925 until his death in 1938.

A talented poet and novelist, Johnson brought a high standard of artistry and realism to Black literature in such works as God’s Trombones (1927) and The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man (1912). His pioneering studies of Black poetry, music, and theater in the 1920s introduced many white Americans to the rich African American creative spirit, hitherto known mainly through the distortions of the minstrel show and dialect poetry.

In addition to being a composer, song writer, and author, he was an outspoken advocate for civil rights, working in various roles at the NAACP, including General Secretary.

The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

These are private residences and not open to the public.