Will Marion Cook House | |
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  Will Marion Cook House  Will Marion Cook House  Will Marion Cook House | |
| Location | 221 West 138th Street,Manhattan,New York City,New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°49′4″N73°56′37″W / 40.81778°N 73.94361°W /40.81778; -73.94361 |
| Built | 1918 |
| Architect | D.H. King |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | St. Nicholas Historic District (ID75001209) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001238[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1976[1] |
| Designated NHL | May 11, 1976[2] |
| Designated CP | October 29, 1975 |
TheWill Marion Cook House is a historic townhouse at 221 West 138th Street, in the part ofHarlem known asStrivers' Row inManhattan,New York City. It was the home ofWill Marion Cook (1869-1944), a leading African-American musician and composer of the period, from 1918 until his death in 1944. Cook was a major influence on later musicians includingSidney Bechet,Duke Ellington, andJosephine Baker. It was declared aNational Historic Landmark in 1976.[2][3][4]
The Will Marion Cook House is located on the north side of West 138th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. This area, known as Strivers' Row, was home to a number of well-known people during the height of Harlem's cultural successes of the early 20th century. It is an end unit of a row of sixteen three-story Renaissance Revival brick rowhouses, built by developer David H. King in 1891. The ground floor is two bays wide, with the main entrance in the left bay, set in a rounded-arch opening. The second floor features a single three-part window, with narrow sidelights flanking a larger central sash, separated by Ionic columns; a half-round terra cotta panel above the center window gives the grouping the feel of aPalladian window. The third floor has a central sash window, separated from side narrow windows by brickwork. First and third-floor window bays, while all feature splayed lintels of terra cotta.[3]
This house is whereWill Marion Cook lived from 1918 to 1944. Called the "master of all masters of our people" byDuke Ellington, he was a leading black composer and musician, trained classically in the violin byAntonin Dvorak and others.[3] Denied work in racist classical music circles, he made his influence felt as a composer and arranger in the theater, employing African-American musical styles and themes in his work. He was an early innovator in the use ofmusical improvisation, helping give rise tojazz and theBig Band Era. Cook was a mentor and influence onEubie Blake andDuke Ellington, and helped further the career of his wife, sopranoAbbie Mitchell.[3]
