February House
The February House was an artists' commune from 1940 to 1941 in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, New York City.[1]
History
[edit]George Davis, an editor for Harper's Bazaar, rented a brownstone at 7 Middagh St. from late 1940 to 1941. Davis invited friends to move in, looking to foster a creative environment for artists. The main residents of February House were W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Benjamin Britten, Paul Bowles, and Gypsy Rose Lee.[2] The house itself was a mock-Tudor brownstone in disrepair, with faulty plumbing and a lack of locks.[2][1] Guests of the February House included Salvador and Gala Dalí, Anaïs Nin, Klaus Mann, Jane Bowles, Richard Wright, and Pavel Pchelitchew.[2][1] It was Nin who named the it February House, for the number of residents with February birthdays.[3]
A number of works were created at the February House: McCullers began writing The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, meeting the inspiration for the characters at a bar in the neighborhood.[4] Lee published The G-String Murders. Auden published The Double Man. Jane Bowles began writing Two Serious Ladies.[1]
By the end of 1941, the main residents of February house, save Davis, had moved out. Auden was broke and took a position at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. McCullers moved in with her mother in Georgia. Lee moved to Chicago for better opportunities.[2] Britten returned to England and produced Peter Grimes.[4] In 1945, Davis left the house too. Soon after Davis left, the house was demolished to construct the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.[2]
In media
[edit]In 2012, a musical February House by Gabriel Kahane and Seth Bockley premiered at the Public Theater. It ran for two weeks.[2]
In 2005, a biography February House was written by Sherill Tippins.[4]
In 2025, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a program The February House. One of the contributors was Sherill Tippins. [5]
Further reading
[edit]- February House: The Story of W. H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Jane and Paul Bowles, Benjamin Britten, and Gypsy Rose Lee, Under One Roof in Brooklyn, Sherill Tippins, 2016, Mariner Books, ISBN 978-0-618-71197-0
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Pohlig, Molly (2015-05-16). "February House, the Middagh Street home of literary giants". Brownstoner. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Geselowitz, Gabriela (25 September 2014). "The House on Middagh Street". www.bklynr.com. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ↑ Lahr, John (2012-05-28). "The Gang's All Here". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- 1 2 3 Vaill, Amanda (2005-02-06). "'February House': Brooklyn Bohemians". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ↑ Woods, Gregory (22 June 2025). "The February House". BBC Radio 3. Retrieved 16 July 2025.