Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Langston Hughes Lives On In Harlem
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 18, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 18, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Langston Hughes came to New York to study at Columbia in 1921, but after a year he left due to racial prejudice at the institution. He aimed his focus towards Harlem, becoming a large influence on the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, even when he was physically worlds away.
Famously saying, "I would rather have a kitchenette in Harlem than a mansion in Westchester," he spent the last twenty years of his life living in a brownstone on 20 East 127th Street, churning out some of his best work from the third floor. WCBS notes that "while in his two-room suite, with treetop views, a narrow bed, a shower, books, work tables, photographs and other belongings, Hughes produced a book-length poem, an autobiography, newspaper columns, lyrics, anthologies, and many other writings."
Now the structure in which he found inspiration will be transformed into a "performance and gallery space, recording studios, and an overall incubator of creativity for musicians, poets and other artists -- all while paying homage to the literary giant." A musician, a music producer and a music executive opened the doors to creative minds on February 1st. The first floor (living and dining rooms and kitchen) has become an intimate performance parlor - seating about 60 and housing instruments, including a $150,000 Fazioli piano. The second floor, where the bedrooms of Hughes' surrogate parents once were, have become recording studios. The third floor, where Hughes himself found inspiration and sanctuary, now houses Motema Records. Open mic nights, performances, film and other exhibits will all become part of the new history of Hughes' house.
The building received landmark status in 1981, however when Shon "Chance" Miller (one of those involved in recreating the space) first saw it, he said of it's appearance, "This place was just beat down." Upon seeing who the brownstone once belonged to, however, he signed a five-year lease with the current owner, Dr. Beverly Prince Davis. So far there have been over $80,000 in renovations, with more needed. Hopefully they'll keep the Children's Garden in tact.
When Hughes died in 1967, his ashes were interred beneath a medallion in the floor outside of the auditorium named for him in the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, just around the corner from his brownstone. You can visit Hughes House on East 127 Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues, a block that was renamed Langston Hughes Place.
Tagged
architecture
Beverly
books
children
culture
dining
film
harlem
history
house
housing
Langston Hughes
Madison Avenues
maps
Music
new york
News: NYC
photos
prince
The Doors
wcbs
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .