6. John Philip Sousa House
Courtesy of the National Parks Service
The John Philip Sousa House, also known as Wildbank, is a historic 1907 Sands Point home where composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa lived from 1912 until his death in 1932. The private 2-1/2 story home overlooks Manhasset Bay and features a brown stucco exterior with a red tile roof. Sousa is best-known for his over 130 marches, including “The Washington Post,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and “Semper Fidelis.” While living at the Sands Point home, Sousa composed other notable marches like “U.S. Field Artillery,” “The Gallant Seventh,” and “Minnesota March.” He was also promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the naval reserve in the 1920s. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and remains a private residence.
Sousa’s legacy also lives on at Port Washington’s John Philip Sousa Elementary School, as well as the John Philip Sousa Memorial Band Shell in Sunset Park. The band shell often hosts musical performances like the Port Washington Community Concert Band.