Bessie Smith House

Neighborhood:South

Address:
1319 Christian St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Significance:
This three-story brick rowhouse was the home of Bessie Smith (ca. 1892-1937), the "Empress of the Blues." Her first record, "Down Hearted Blues," sold more than 1 million copies in 1923 when only Caruso and Paul Whiteman were achieving those sorts of figures. By 1927, she was the highest paid artist in the world.

Type of Historic Resource:dwelling