Leon Bismark Beiderbecke House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Leon Bismark Beiderbecke House
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1934 Grand Ave. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000554 |
| Added to NRHP | July 13, 1977 |
The Leon Bismark Beiderbecke House is a special historic building. It is located in Davenport, Iowa, in the United States. This house is important because it was the birthplace and childhood home of a famous jazz musician named Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke. Because of him, the house is also known as the Bix Beiderbecke House. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977, which means it is officially recognized as a place worth preserving.
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Meet Bix Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark Beiderbecke, known as Bix, was born in this very house on March 10, 1903. He spent his early years growing up here. His father, Bismark Herman Beiderbecke, owned a company called East Davenport Lumber and Coal. Bix's mother, Agatha Jane Beiderbecke, was a talented organist at the First Presbyterian Church.
Bix's Early Music Journey
Bix started playing the piano by ear in his family home. This means he could play tunes just by listening, without needing sheet music. By the time he was three years old, he could play simple songs. When he was six, a local newspaper, the Davenport Democrat, even wrote an article about his amazing musical skills!
As Bix got older, he loved to visit the Mississippi River. He would listen to the lively jazz music playing on the riverboats. It was on one of these boats that Beiderbecke first heard the legendary musician Louis Armstrong. Bix would sometimes sneak onto the boats to play the calliopes, which are like big steam organs.
Discovering Jazz and the Cornet
His older brother, Charles, brought home exciting record albums after serving in World War I. These records featured the music of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Bix was especially drawn to the sound of the band's trumpet player, Nick LaRocca.
When Bix was 15, he bought a used cornet, which is similar to a trumpet. He would slow down the record player to learn the trumpet parts note-by-note. This helped him master the instrument. His first public performance was at a vaudeville show in the Davenport High School gym. Later, he played with groups like Neal Buckley's Novelty Orchestra. He also performed with the Plantation Jazz Orchestra on a stern-wheeler boat called the Majestic.
Bix's Professional Music Career
In 1921, Bix was sent to Lake Forest Academy. Except for a short time in the early 1920s when he worked for his father, Bix spent the rest of his life away from Davenport. He became a professional musician, playing in many jazz bands.
He would visit his family in Davenport from time to time. When he was home, he often played with local bands. People believe that during a visit from December 1924 to January 1925, Bix composed his famous song "Davenport Blues" right in this house. Bix Beiderbecke passed away in New York City in 1931 at the age of 28. He is buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Beiderbecke house is in a neighborhood with many other homes built around the same time. These houses are from the Late Victorian era. The house sits on a property that has a 5-foot (2 m) terrace leading to the sidewalk. It is also located across the street from a neighborhood park.
Unique Architectural Features
The house has a rectangular shape, measuring 26 feet (8 m) wide and 57 feet (17 m) deep. A large porch wraps around the front and south side of the house. Above the porch entrance, there is a decorative wooden pediment, which is a triangular design.
Above that, there is a smaller, semi-circular porch with a pointed, conical roof. You can get to this smaller porch from one of the bedrooms on the second floor. The house also has a two-story bay window section that sticks out from the south side. On the north side, there is another part that holds a stairwell. A small L-shaped addition, which includes an enclosed porch and a family room, was added to the back of the house at some point. The house is topped with an uneven gabled roof.
