A remarkable piece of New York history has just become available, offering buyers a rare opportunity to own a home once belonging to legendary entertainer and civil rights icon Lena Horne.
The Tudor-style residence, located at 112-45 178th Street in the quiet Addisleigh Park neighborhood of Queens, is listed for $1.22 million, with Matthew Wynter of Brown Harris Stevens handling the listing.
Horne, renowned for her singing, acting, and activism, purchased the six-bedroom home in 1946 and lived there for nearly two decades before relocating to Manhattan. Since then, the house has changed hands only twice, most recently in 2004, when current owner Camille Chin-Kee-Fatt discovered the listing by chance. “I didn’t know the home had belonged to Lena Horne,” she said. “That sent it over the top for me.”
The 2,287-square-foot home spans four levels, including a finished basement that once featured a wooden bar. Inside, the residence boasts charming architectural details such as arched entryways, a wood-burning fireplace, and an eat-in kitchen. Outside, a backyard oasis awaits with a hot tub, gazebo, sunroom, and spacious deck—perfect for enjoying suburban-style living without leaving the city.
Beyond the house itself, the location amplifies its cultural and historical significance. Addisleigh Park, a designated historic district, was once known as New York’s “African-American Gold Coast” due to its concentration of prominent Black entertainers, athletes, and professionals. Jazz legends Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cootie Williams, as well as sports icons like Jackie Robinson, all called the tree-lined streets home.
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Originally built in the 1910s and 1920s as a segregated white suburb near the St. Albans Golf Course, Addisleigh Park opened to Black homebuyers following legal challenges and the landmark 1948 Shelley v. Kraemer ruling, which rendered racial covenants unenforceable. The result was one of the country’s most celebrated Black enclaves during an era of widespread racial segregation.
Today, while neighboring St. Albans is famed as the birthplace of hip-hop stars like LL Cool J and A Tribe Called Quest, the legacy of Addisleigh Park’s mid-20th-century residents is preserved through its historic homes and the memories of longtime neighbors. Chin-Kee-Fatt recalls children visiting Horne’s house for hot chocolate on Christmas, a small but vivid glimpse into the life of the legendary star.
