Dunbar House

PO Box 1872
Dayton, OH 45401
937-224-7061 1-800-860-0148

"We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!"

--Paul Laurence Dunbar
from the poem, We Wear the Mask

This Italianate turn-of-the-century structure was the final home of the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. It exhibits his literary treasures, many of his personal items and his family's furnishings. During his short lifetime Dunbar became known as the poet laureate of African Americans. Drawing on his observations of society and the experience of his parents--both former slaves--he gave voice to the social dilemma of disenfranchised people of his day and became a proclaimer of black dignity.

Born in 1872, Dunbar was ill for most of his life. He died of tuberculosis in 1906. His mother, Matilda, lived on in the house and kept vigil over Paul's belongings until her death in 1934. On 23 July 1936, the Dunbar House became the first state memorial to honor an African American.

LOCATION

The Dunbar House is located in Dayton (Montgomery County), at 219 Paul Laurence Dunbar Street. It is two blocks north of 3rd Street and four blocks east of U.S. Route 35.