New Jersey may not have possessed the wisdom and foresight to preserve the Ft. Lee family home of the fabled Barrymore family (the town council voted 4-2 to demolish the historic structure), but New York has not made the same mistake in regard to the dwelling place of one of its theatrical sons. The Kings Point, Long Island, residence of playwright, composer and actor George M. Cohan, has been awarded landmark status.

The Spanish Mediterranean-style mansion is located on a five-acre lot a few miles outside of New York City. According to the website for the house (www.cohanlandmark.com), the building has a total of six master bedrooms, five master baths, four servants' bedrooms, two baths, a foyer, powder room, kitchen, three wine cellars, a living room with a marble fireplace, and an entertainment center including a billiards room and a bowling alley.

The current owners of this house are reportedly renovating the home with the help of New York-based architect, Gary Maranga.

Cohan wrote many songs which remain in popular and widely known, including "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway," "Give My Regards to Broadway," "Mary," and "Over There," the WWI anthem, which was written in the Kings Point home. His many Broadway shows include Johnny Jones (1904), Forty-five Minutes from Broadway (1905), Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913), The Song and Dance Man (1923), and The Merry Malones (1927).

Cohan died in 1942. A statue of him stands in Times Square, the only monument to a theatrical artist in the area. —By Robert Simonson