In the spring of 1887, MacDowell, in one of his walks about the town, discovered a deserted cottage on the edge of the woods.  It overlooked the town, with the Rhine beyond, and woods on the other side of the river.  Templeton Strong, an American composer, was with him at the time, and both thought the little cottage an ideal spot for a home.  It was soon purchased, and the young husband and wife lived an idyllic life for the next year.  A small garden gave them exercise out of doors, the woods were always enticing and best of all, MacDowell was able to give his entire time to composition.  Many beautiful songs and piano pieces were the result, besides the symphonic poem “Lamia,” “Hamlet and Ophelia,” the “Lovely Aida,” “Lancelot and Elaine,” and other orchestral works.

In September, 1888, the MacDowells sold their Wiesbaden cottage and returned to America, settling in Boston.  Here MacDowell made himself felt as a pianist and teacher.  He took many pupils, and made a conspicuous number of public appearances.  He also created some of his best work, among which were the two great Sonatas, the “Tragica” and “Eroica.”  One of the important appearances was his playing of the Second Concerto with the Philharmonic Orchestra of New York, under Anton Seidl, in December, 1894.

In the spring of 1896 a Department of Music was founded at Columbia University, of New York, the professorship of which was offered to MacDowell.  He had now been living eight years in Boston; his fame as a pianist and teacher was constantly growing; indeed more pupils came to him than he could accept.  The prospect of organizing a new department from the very beginning was a difficult task to undertake.  At first he hesitated; he was in truth in no hurry to accept the offer, and wished to weigh both sides carefully.  But the idea of having an assured income finally caused him to decide in favor of Columbia, and he moved from Boston to New York the following autumn.

He threw himself into this new work with great ardor and entire devotion.  With the founding of the department there were two distinct ideas to be carried out.  First, to train musicians who would be able to teach and compose.  Second, to teach musical history and aesthetics.

All this involved five courses, with many lectures each week, taking up form, harmony, counterpoint, fugue, composition, vocal and instrumental music, both from the technical and interpretative side.  It was a tremendous labor to organize and keep all this going, unaided.  After two years he was granted an assistant, who took over the elementary classes.  But even with this help, MacDowell’s labors were increasingly arduous.  He now had six courses instead of five, which meant more classes and lectures each week.  Perhaps the most severe drain on his time and strength was the continual correction of exercise books and examination papers, a task which he performed with great patience and thoroughness.  Added to all this, he devoted every Sunday morning to his advanced students, giving them help and advice in their piano work and in composition.