Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building
United States historic place in Kansas City, Missouri. Added to the National Register in 1979, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
The Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building is a historic building at 1823 Highland Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. It is also known as the Mutual Musicians Association Building or the Musician's Union Local or the Local No. 627 of the American Federation of Musicians. It was a center of the development of the "Kansas City Style" of jazz, and was immortalized in the song "627 Stomp". Famous members of the Mutual Musicians Foundation included Count Basie, Bennie Moten, Jay McShann, George F. Lee, singer Julia Lee, trumpeter Hot Lips Page, tenor saxophonists Dick Wilson, Herschel Evans and Lester Young, alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, drummer Baby Lovett, and pianist Pete Johnson. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1981. It continues to be used as an active performing venue, and also houses a museum.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 1823 Highland Ave., Kansas City, MO |
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | Feb 7, 1979 |
| Listed for | Black heritage, Social history, Performing arts |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Mutual Musicians Association Building; Musician's Union Local |
| Reference number | 79001372 |
| Architect | Rudolf Markgraf |
| Type of place | building |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 1823 Highland Ave., Kansas City, MO |
| Coordinates | 39.0904° N, 94.5621° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Kansas City | 365 listed places in Kansas City → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Harry S Truman National Historic Site · 12 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Longview Campground 15 miles · Camp Branch Campground 22 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Jackson County
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Local history books for Kansas City
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Missouri
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building listed on the National Register?
Feb 7, 1979. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Who designed Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building?
Rudolf Markgraf.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building?
Yes. Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building?
1823 Highland Ave., Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. The nearest national park unit is Harry S Truman National Historic Site, 12 miles away.
Where is the nomination form for Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building?
Two federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Longview Campground, 15 miles away. Camp Branch Campground is 22 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 79001372. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.