Morris-Jumel Mansion

I had been to the Morris-Jumel Mansion to see concerts, and to visit the museum in the historic house itself, but had never paid attention to the grounds. And they can fairly be said to constitute a park.

So here they are.

Roger Morris built the mansion in 1765, which makes the building today known as the Morris-Jumel Mansion Manhattan's oldest surviving house. It was Morris's summer villa; this milestone once marked "11 MILES FROM N. YORK ON THE KINGSBRIDGE RD."

His onetime estate, Mount Morris, gave its name to Mount Morris Park, now Marcus Garvey Park, two miles to the south. But, being Tories, Morris and his family fled at the outbreak of war. George Washington took advantage of the house's high elevation to make it his headquarters for five weeks in September and October of 1776, as the museum exhibits inside are happy to explain.

In 1810, French merchant Stephen Jumel bought the house and married Eliza Bowen. After his death Eliza married Aaron Burr here in the house. Leslie Odom Jr., who originated the Aaron Burr role in Hamilton, made an appearance at the museum's Culture and Arts Festival in 2015.

Leslie Odom Jr. at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in 2015. Photo by Carole Di Tosti

Maintained by volunteers, the garden is a lovely place to spend some time, and hosts lots of organized activities as well. The garden blog notes that local naturalist Gabriel Willow, who leads the NYC Audubon EcoCruises like the one I described here, even led a nature walk through the grounds this summer.

So when you pay a visit to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, don't be so distracted by the house's heady history that you neglect to take a walk around the grounds.

Finally, while you're there, take a stroll down adjacent Sylvan Terrace, originally the Morris estate's carriage drive, and part of the historic district that also includes the mansion. The wooden houses from the 1880s are unlike anything else you'll find in Manhattan.

All photos © Jon Sobel, Critical Lens Media, except where noted

St. Nicholas Park and Hamilton Grange

St. Nicholas Park is notable for among other things its steep terrain, but since Alexander Hamilton's 210-year-old house moved in, there's more reason to visit. Though perhaps that's not entirely fair to the park, which does have its own society and website describing it as "[f]orged by nature in rugged masses of rock."

Those masses of good old New York City rock are on extravagant display in the park's north end:





St. Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of the original Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, gift-bringer, and inspiration for Santa Claus, lent his name to several streets in this part of Harlem as well as to the park. In an interesting twist for the Great Recession era, he's also the patron saint of pawnbrokers and repentant thieves, as well as – according to the Parks Department website – bankers.

If that's true, how appropriate that the house Alexander Hamilton built for his family in 1800-1802 has ended up here (after not one but two local moves). As President George Washington's Treasury Secretary, Hamilton established the system of national credit under which the U.S. has operated since the post-Revolutionary period.



The city originally acquired some of the land that's now St. Nicholas Park for the Croton Aqueduct. That land ended up part of a long 23-acre "ribbon park" that also features a dog run, a playground, sports facilities, and some Revolutionary War history. These photos are from the park's quiet north end.





The National Park Service moved, partially restored, re-opened to the public, and runs Hamilton Grange, giving tours of the house's interior. Among the period furnishings are some of Hamilton's own items. He and his family had a few happy years here at the beginning of the 19th century, before he was killed in the famous duel with Aaron Burr, across the river in New Jersey. This is Alexander Hamilton's desk.