Crown Heights in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Ethel Waters

October 31, 1896 - September 1, 1977

— 190 New York Avenue, Brooklyn —

Ethel Waters Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 1, 2021

1. Ethel Waters Marker

Inscription. Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and married at the age of 13, Ethel Waters overcame a childhood of abuse and poverty to become a jazz and gospel singer and actress, with a career spanning five decades. Waters toured on the black vaudeville circuit until 1919, when she moved to Harlem, and began her recording career. In 1929, she recorded "Am I Blue," which became a hit, and her signature song. Her film career began the same year, but she is best known for her Academy Award-nominated role in Pinky (1949), and for the 1952 film reprisal of her NY Drama Critics Circle Award-winning performance (1950) in A Member of the Wedding. She was the second African-American woman to be nominated for an Emmy (1962) for her performance in Route 66. On Jan. 8, 1954, Waters was interviewed in this house by Edward R. Murrow for his live television show "Person to Person," which focused on the careers, as well as personal lives, of celebrities.

Erected by Historic Landmarks Preservation Center; medallion program created by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:

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African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Women. In addition, it is included in the New York, New York City Historic Landmarks Preservation Center Cultural Medallions series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 8, 1954.

Location. 40° 40.428′ N, 73° 56.852′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Crown Heights. It is on New York Avenue just south of Prospect Place, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 190 New York Ave, Brooklyn NY 11216, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in New York City

and on Long Island.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Shirley Chisholm Circle (approx. ¼ mile away); Shirley Chisholm Park

E Waters marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 1, 2021

2. E Waters marker

(approx. 0.3 miles away); Ulysses S. Grant (approx. 0.3 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Marc and Jason's Playground (approx. ¾ mile away); Jackie Robinson Playground (approx. 0.8 miles away); Charles C. Pinn Triangle (approx. 0.8 miles away); a different marker also named Jackie Robinson Playground (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Charles C. Pinn Triangle (was approx. 0.8 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,126 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.