Top 10 Secrets of the Morris-Jumel Mansion

Perched atop a hill in Washington Heights, the Morris-Jumel Mansion has stood witness to more than two centuries of New York City history. The home has evolved with the city around it, serving first as a summer house for a wealthy British colonel, then as headquarters for troops during the American Revolution. It was an inn for weary travelers and today it is a museum that “presents American life from the colonial era to the present by preserving, collecting, and interpreting history, culture, and the arts.” After all the house has seen, it’s bound to hold some amazing secrets!

1. It is One of Manhattan’s Oldest Buildings

Built in 1765, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest residence in Manhattan, and one of the oldest buildings in New York City. The Morris-Jumel Mansion was built as a summer house for British Colonel Roger Morris and his wife Mary Philipse. It was situated on 135 acres of land atop one of the highest points of Manhattan and therefore originally dubbed “Mount Morris.”

2. Queen Elizabeth Visited in 1976

Queen Elizabeth II of England has only visited New York City twice, and on one of those occasions, she stopped at the Morris-Jumel Mansion. The visit occurred in July 1976 during the Bicentennial Celebrations. After a busy day of greeting crowds in Lower Manhattan at Federal Hall and Trinity Church, the Queen traveled to Washington Heights to tour the grounds and historic gardens of the mansion. When the tour was complete, she headed off to a fashion show at Bloomingdale’s and later attended a reception at Lincoln Center.

3. The House Served as Headquarters for Opposing Forces of the Revolution

When the American Revolution broke out in 1776, the Morrises abandoned their summer home of Mount Morris. Shortly after the Morrises’ departure, George Washington and his Continental officers made the home their headquarters. The strategic location of the home, atop a high vantage point of the mansion and between the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, helped Washington secure a victory on September 16th during the Battle of Harlem Heights.

Less than a month after the victory of Harlem Heights, Washington and his troops were forced to retreat north to White Plains. The Morris-Jumel Mansion was occupied by both the British and Hessian armies for the remainder of the war.

4. Lin Manuel Miranda Wrote Songs for Hamilton in Aaron Burr’s Bedroom

While writing the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, playwright and performer Lin Manuel-Miranda went to Morris-Jumel for inspiration. The Morris-Jumel Mansion was home to Aaron Burr, former Vice-President of the United States and the man who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton during their infamous duel. Manuel-Miranda holed up in Burr’s former bedroom and penned two songs for the play.

5. An 18th Century Mile Marker Stands on the Property

A mile marker on the north-east side of the property dates to 1769. The stone was once located on Kingsbridge Road, a road that stretched all the way up to Albany, and what we know today as St. Nicholas Road by the mansion. The mile marking system measured the distance from downtown New York starting at City Hall in Lower Manhattan. This particular marker once sat at the 11th-mile mark. A plaque was added to the marker in 1912 by The City History Club and it was relocated to the grounds of the Morris-Jumel mansion for safekeeping. The plaque notes a shift in the mile mark’s location after City Hall was moved.

After the American Revolution, the mansion was briefly turned into a tavern. On July 10th, 1790, George Washington returned to the mansion, then a tavern, for a celebratory dinner with his cabinet Secretaries and their spouses. Future presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were all in attendance, as well as Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.

6. One of the Wealthiest Women in New York Lived in the Mansion