▁T andy , ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁Al pha ▁Ph i ▁Al pha ▁frat ern ity ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁architect ▁lic ensed ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁State . ▁Al most ▁from ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁arrival ▁in ▁Har lem ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁her ▁dinner ▁parties , ▁d ances ▁and ▁so ire es ▁included ▁well ▁known ▁Har lem ▁figures ▁like ▁James ▁Re ese ▁Europe , ▁J . ▁Ros am and ▁Johnson , ▁Bert ▁Williams ▁and ▁Florence ▁M ills . ▁Live ▁music — from ▁classical ▁and ▁rag time ▁to ▁jazz ▁and ▁bl ues — was ▁a ▁regular ▁feature ▁with ▁entertain ment ▁provided ▁by ▁her ▁music ian ▁friends . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁she ▁converted ▁a ▁floor ▁of ▁the ▁home ▁into ▁The ▁Dark ▁Tower , ▁a ▁cultural ▁sal on ▁that ▁became ▁legend ary ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁gather ing ▁places ▁of ▁the ▁era , ▁a ▁place ▁where ▁Har lem ' s ▁tal ented ▁artists ▁social ized ▁with ▁their ▁Green wich ▁Village ▁counter parts ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁European ▁and ▁African ▁royal ty . ▁She ▁commission ed ▁Aust rian ▁designer ▁Paul ▁Frank l ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁interior . ▁ ▁She ▁also ▁ent ert ained ▁at ▁Villa ▁Lew aro , ▁her ▁country ▁house ▁in ▁West chester ▁County ▁and ▁at ▁her ▁pied - à - terre ▁at ▁ 8 0 ▁Edge com be ▁Avenue ▁in ▁Har lem . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁Walker ▁was ▁married ▁three ▁times : ▁to ▁John ▁Robinson , ▁a ▁hotel ▁wait er , ▁from ▁whom ▁she ▁separated ▁about ▁