Former Home of Jazz Legend Cab Calloway Has Been Demolished

The battle over Cab Calloway’s former home has come to an end.

On Saturday, the City of Baltimore demolished a rowhouse where the jazz legend had lived as a teenager, marking a huge blow to preservationists and some members of Calloway’s family. The Baltimore Sun reports activists and community members attempted to protect the home through a historical landmark designation; however, city officials ultimately decided the house—and other residences on the Druid Hill Ave’s 2200 block—would be torn down as planned. Parts of the block will be transformed into a city park, which will reportedly be named after Calloway.

Calloway’s grandson Peter Brooks, who was among those who pushed for preservation, said there simply wasn’t enough “groundswell of support” from the community to keep the home intact.

“I knew it was going to happen but when you lose your foundation, it’s kind of shaky,” he said. “The hope was that this could be an anchor for people in the neighborhood to brag about. The significance of his work is still in play … It’s hard to imagine them doing the same thing to Babe Ruth or Edgar Allan Poe.”

After the city announced its plans to tear down the home, activists filed a number of appeals arguing the home had historical significance. Baltimore officials halted the demolition back in April, but the court ultimately ruled against preservationists and the city proceeded with the tear-downs in late August.