THE NEXT CHAPTER
Bringing History Home.
Preserving Legacy.
Inspiring Future
Generations.
Saved from demolition, the Rosa Parks House continues to inspire conversations around legacy, preservation, and justice.
THE STORY OF THE HOUSE
More Than a House —
A Living Piece of History
The Rosa Parks House is more than a historic structure — it is a powerful symbol of courage, resilience, and American history. After Rosa Parks faced threats and hardship following the Montgomery Bus Boycott, she relocated to Detroit, where the home became a place of refuge for her and her family.
Years later, the house faced demolition before being rescued by Rosa Parks’ niece, Rhea McCauley, and artist Ryan Mendoza, who helped preserve the structure by carefully dismantling and rebuilding it abroad. Today, the mission of the Rosa Parks Family Foundation is to help bring the house back home to Detroit — preserving its legacy for future generations through education, storytelling, and community engagement.
Bringing the Rosa Parks House home means preserving more than history — it means preserving connection, memory, and legacy.
— ROSA PARKS FAMILY FOUNDATION
Rosa Parks House rebuilt in Berlin © Fabia Mendoza
SAVED FROM DEMOLITION
A House Preserved Against the Odds
In 2016, the Rosa Parks House narrowly escaped demolition after being discovered abandoned in Detroit. Determined to preserve this important piece of American history, Rosa Parks’ niece, Rhea McCauley, partnered with artist Ryan Mendoza to save the structure from being permanently lost.
Together, they carefully dismantled the house piece by piece, preserving its original materials and spirit before reconstructing it in Berlin, Germany. There, the home became an international symbol of history, memory, civil rights, and preservation.
Today, the Rosa Parks House remains in Europe as conversations continue around a future return to Detroit — reconnecting this important part of American history with the city and community where its story began.
The house became more than a structure — it became a symbol of memory, preservation, and unfinished history.
— ROSA PARKS FAMILY FOUNDATION
Preserving Legacy. Inspiring Future Generations.
The Rosa Parks Family Foundation is committed to preserving the full story of Rosa Parks—not just her historic act of courage, but the life that followed.
Through education, preservation, and community engagement, we ensure her legacy continues to inform, inspire, and empower future generations.
A Story Worth Preserving
The Detroit home where Rosa Parks lived with her family was nearly lost to time.
This video captures the effort to preserve not just a structure, but a story—one that continues to shape how we understand her life beyond a single moment in history.
Honoring the past.
Inspiring the present.
Building a more just and equitable future.
QUICK LINKS
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
Your support helps preserve history, expand educational access, and continue the mission of bringing the Rosa Parks House back home to Detroit.
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