Former Residence of Roots and Agnes Smedley

Former Residence of Roots and Agnes Smedley

The Former Residence of Roots and Agnes Smedley is a cultural relic protection unit of Hubei Province.

The former residence of Agnes Smedley is located at No. 32 Poyang Street, Jiang’an District, Wuhan.

Similar in style to medieval European church architecture, it is a two-story brick-and-wood building shaped like a rectangular prism with straight lines and right angles. Between 1913 and 1938, American Bishop Roots (1870–1945), also known in Chinese as Wu Deshi, lived here with his entire family.

The place reflects the Protestant tradition of simplicity and modesty. It features a steeply pitched tile roof, square stone foundations, and a dark gray exposed brick exterior wall, with two deep red brick lines separating the two floors. The main facade has continuous arched doors and windows with protruding frames, creating an elegant appearance. The entire building covers a construction area of 646 square meters, with a spacious interior and dozens of rooms. In addition to housing the bishop’s family, it often hosted guests, almost like a “private guesthouse.”

The Roots’ home became a frequent gathering place for progressive journalists, diplomats, and social workers. Famous American journalists Agnes Smedley and Anna Louise Strong were regular visitors, enjoying close, family-like relationships with the bishop, his wife, and their children. Dr. Norman Bethune also stayed here for half a month before heading north to Yan’an. Zhou Enlai also hid here for a period during the “—” incident in 1927.

Before Bishop Roots retired and returned to the United States in April 1938, Zhou Enlai held a farewell banquet for him at the Eighth Route Army Wuhan Office.

Source: Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units