Duke Ellington House
{{short description|Historic building in Manhattan, New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Duke Ellington House
| nrhp_type = nhl
| image = Duke-ellington.jpg
| caption =
| location = 935 St. Nicholas Avenue,
Manhattan, New York City, New York
| coordinates = {{coord|40|49|56|N|73|56|28|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = United States Manhattan#New York#USA
| map_label = Duke Ellington House
| architect =
| architecture = Late Gothic Revival
| designated_nrhp_type = May 11, 1976
| refnum = 76001239{{NRISref|version=2010a}}
| designated_other2_name = New York City Landmark
| designated_other2_date = June 27, 2023
| designated_other2_abbr = NYCL
| designated_other2_link = New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
| designated_other2_number = 2670
| designated_other2_color = #ffe978
}}
The Duke Ellington House is a historic residence at 935 St. Nicholas Avenue, in Manhattan, New York City. Apartment 4A in this apartment house was the home of Duke Ellington (1899–1974), the noted African American composer and jazz pianist, from 1939 through 1961. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark in 1976,{{cite web |title=Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington House |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1640&ResourceType=Building |url-status=dead |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service |date=2007-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605233451/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1640&ResourceType=Building |archive-date=2011-06-05}}{{cite web |url={{NHLS url|id=76001239}} |title="Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington House", by Lynne Gomez Graves. |format=pdf |work=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination |date=1975-10-30 |publisher=National Park Service}}{{cite web |url={{NHLS url|id=76001239|photos=y}} |title=Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington House--Accompanying Photos, exterior and interior, from 1975. |format=pdf |work=National Register of Historic Places Inventory |date=September 1978 |publisher=National Park Service}} and became a New York City designated landmark in 2023.{{cite web |last=Lehpamer |first=Eileen |title=NYC designates 3 buildings linked to iconic jazz artists as landmarks |url=https://pix11.com/news/local-news/nyc-designated-3-buildings-linked-to-iconic-jazz-artists-as-landmarks/ |website=PIX11 |date=June 28, 2023 |access-date=November 13, 2023}}
Description and history
935 St. Nicholas Avenue is located in Upper Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, at the southwest corner of St. Nicholas Avenue and 157th Street. It is a six-story masonry structure, built in 1915 in the Late Gothic Revival style. The ground floor appears as a raised basement, with horizontal bands of stonework between its windows. The middle four floors are essentially identical, with some columns of window bays featuring decorative carved panels between the floors. Top-floor windows are set in peaked-arch openings and have more elaborate surrounds. The building is crowned by a parapet with stone turrets and projections. A pair of entrance bays are located at the center of the St. Nicholas facade, the entrances deeply recessed in peaked-arch openings.
When Duke Ellington moved into Apartment A4 in this building in 1939, he was already a well-known musician with a national reputation. It was during his period of his residency here that he wrote a number of his most important compositions, including Black, Brown and Beige, his first major extended-length jazz composition for chorus and orchestra. During this period, Ellington's music and personal style had a major impact on African-American culture specifically, as well as broader cultural trends in music.
See also
References
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External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Duke Ellington House}}
{{Washington Heights, Manhattan}}
{{New York City Historic Sites}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York}}
{{Duke Ellington}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellington, Duke, House}}
Category:National Historic Landmarks in Manhattan
Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan