Will Marion Cook House

The Will Marion Cook House is a three-story brick residence at 221 West 138th Street featuring Georgian architectural elements such as rounded-arch entrance and Palladian windows. The house stands as the end unit of a row of sixteen townhouses constructed in 1891 by developer David H. King.

African-American musician and composer Will Marion Cook lived in this house from 1918 to 1944, shaping the development of artists including Sidney Bechet and Duke Ellington. The rowhouses were constructed in 1891 during a period when prosperous Black families were purchasing properties in this neighborhood.

This residence served as home to composer Will Marion Cook, whose musical work and teaching shaped the development of African-American artists during the early 20th century. Strivers' Row developed as a neighborhood where successful and emerging Black families chose to establish their homes and creative practices.

The house is part of the St. Nicholas Historic District and can be viewed from the street as it sits in an accessible residential neighborhood. Visitors interested in detailed research can access Library of Congress documentation about the property and its history.

This residence belonged to one of the most influential composers of early jazz music, yet his role in music history often goes unrecognized by passersby. Few neighborhood visitors realize that the artistic networks formed here fundamentally shaped American music in the 20th century.