Coltrane Home Progress Report

Friends of the Coltrane Home receiving an eagerly awaited update on the project.

A Welcome Reunion and Tour

Among the notables who have made Long Island their home, John Coltrane wrote his masterwork in Dix Hills. After his passing, his wife Alice, who was also incredibly gifted, recorded three albums there. That ranch home, where they raised their family, is an understated treasure that folks have been working hard for many years to transform into a museum and cultural center.

Recently, some of the volunteers who have done all they can to help manifest this vision came together for a tour and progress report. It was a happy reunion of folks who found friendship through a shared love of jazz and community appreciation. 

Incredible amounts of work have been done to determine what may be restored, what should be replaced, and how the building will eventually function as a living museum, meeting place, performance center and boutique recording studio. How may they best serve young people? How can they assist musicians today in honoring these spirits? What may they do to advance the significant legacies of John and Alice Coltrane, musically, spiritually, and as folks who wished “to be a force for good?” 

Progress is Significant

The major work to the home has been structural. Prime for destruction, the home was once filled with mold and had serious foundation issues, which in turn damaged the facade. Even without that, major work would have had to be done in order to make a 1960’s ranch house suitable for museum traffic. 
 
In addition to (and often in concert with) needed repairs, have been carefully considered modifications. The basement floor was lowered to make that space usable. Steel and other required reinforcements were applied throughout. Windows were installed to simultaneously vastly improve climate control and more closely replicate what was there when the Coltranes lived there. Folks involved are delighted that the woman who took the rainbow window when the house was slated for destruction has kindly offered to bring it home. Other treasures eagerly await their return.
 
Almost as remarkable as the transformation to the home itself is the property. Once a completely overgrown mess of invasive species, the grounds are now cleared for the installation of meditation gardens in honor of Alice. We can’t wait to see them blossom! 
 
Cross your fingers. Say a prayer. There’s a bit of work to do, but with any luck the doors may open soon! 
 

Below is a gallery of our tour. Hover over the images for descriptions. Click for larger images. 

 
The Home as it is today.
Steve offers us a report on all the structural work that's been done.
The garden bed has been fully restored.
The floor has been lowered to make the basement functional, which in turn required some reconfiguring to keep things in perspective.
Being an old ranch house, multiple lifts are required to access all areas and make the home ADA compliant.
Steel reinforcements and other accommodations will make this home suitable as a public institution
This used to be "The Creepy Room," as Michelle and Ravi Coltrane remember it. Now, it's shaping up to be a remarkable meeting space.
This fireplace was a prominent feature of Alice's studio. It's also where Ellen and I, as we cleaned those bricks together, realized we were dear friends.
Meditation room...
The rainbow window has been located and kindly offered to return.
It's not hard to see that rendering becomming reality...
How it was...they've come a long way!
This shag rug actually survived not only the 60s, but years of abandoned neglect.
Not sure what to do with this, but we love it!
Mike capturing the rendering of envisioned meditation gardens
These renderings a so close to being realized...soon!!!
This was completely overgrown and filled with invasive species...the clearing alone is extraordinary. What will come next is divine.
Original windows
John's esoteric musing's and more mundane notes....
Draft of liner notes from "A Love Supreme"

Ways to Get Involved

Subscribe to the John & Alice Coltrane Home newsletter for updates on construction and more! 

Of course, the mission carries the group far beyond the historic residence’s walls. The Half Hollow Hills Library, in particular, has regularly offered its downstairs theater for intimate events featuring a diversity of extraordinary talents. Can’t wait to see what they offer next! 

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