John Coltrane Home
Encyclopedia
The John Coltrane Home is a house in the Dix Hills
neighborhood of Huntington
, Suffolk County, New York
, where saxophonist John Coltrane
resided from 1964 until his death in 1967. It was in this home that he composed his landmark work, A Love Supreme
.
in 1964. The family included his wife, Alice; her daughter, Michelle, from a previous marriage; and their three children, John Jr., Ravi and Oran. He lived in this house until he died from liver cancer
at Huntington Hospital on July 17, 1967, at the age of 40. Alice Coltrane lived in the house until 1973.
The basement of the house was the site of Coltrane Studios, where many of his demo recordings were made. It is a 1950s era brick and wood frame "Farm Ranch
" building with four bedrooms, living room, studio in the basement and a practice room above the garage. The practice room above the garage, specifically, has been credited as being the site where A Love Supreme was composed.
In 2002, the 3.4 acres (1.4 ha) plot and house were threatened by a property developer, Ash Agrawal, who was going to raze the house and subdivide the grounds. A local historian, Steve Fulgoni, launched a campaign to find a benefactor to buy the home in 2004, and in 2006 it was purchased by the Town of Huntington and given to the "Friends of the Coltrane Home."
In 2007, the home was added to the New York State and the National Register of Historic Places
. This honor is rare, given the relatively new construction of the house, but is a reflection of its significance. In 2011, the National Trust for Historic Preservation
included the home on its list of the 11 Most Endangered Places
.
Dix Hills, New York
Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet (and a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington on the North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Dix Hills was named the 19th most affluent U.S. neighborhood by Forbes in 2008.. It is one...
neighborhood of Huntington
Huntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
, Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, where saxophonist John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
resided from 1964 until his death in 1967. It was in this home that he composed his landmark work, A Love Supreme
A Love Supreme
A Love Supreme is a studio album recorded by John Coltrane's quartet in December 1964 and released by Impulse! Records in February 1965...
.
Background
Coltrane and his wife moved their family to Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in 1964. The family included his wife, Alice; her daughter, Michelle, from a previous marriage; and their three children, John Jr., Ravi and Oran. He lived in this house until he died from liver cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
at Huntington Hospital on July 17, 1967, at the age of 40. Alice Coltrane lived in the house until 1973.
The basement of the house was the site of Coltrane Studios, where many of his demo recordings were made. It is a 1950s era brick and wood frame "Farm Ranch
Ranch-style house
Ranch-style houses is a domestic architectural style originating in the United States. First built in the 1920s, the ranch style was extremely popular amongst the booming post-war middle class of the 1940s to 1970s...
" building with four bedrooms, living room, studio in the basement and a practice room above the garage. The practice room above the garage, specifically, has been credited as being the site where A Love Supreme was composed.
In 2002, the 3.4 acres (1.4 ha) plot and house were threatened by a property developer, Ash Agrawal, who was going to raze the house and subdivide the grounds. A local historian, Steve Fulgoni, launched a campaign to find a benefactor to buy the home in 2004, and in 2006 it was purchased by the Town of Huntington and given to the "Friends of the Coltrane Home."
In 2007, the home was added to the New York State and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. This honor is rare, given the relatively new construction of the house, but is a reflection of its significance. In 2011, the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
included the home on its list of the 11 Most Endangered Places
America's Most Endangered Places
Each year since 1987, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has released a list of places they consider the most endangered in America. The number of sites included on the list has varied, with the most recent lists settling on 11...
.