Morris-Jumel Mansion Overview
Located in the historic Hamilton Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan, this large Palladian mansion is known as the oldest house Manhattan. The grand edifice was built in 1765 by British Colonel Roger Morris and his American wife, Mary Philipse to serve as a pleasant summer retreat from their primary residence in lower Manhattan. During the American Revolution, the mansion served as the base of operations for General Washington as its strategic location atop the second highest place in Manhattan proved valuable to Washington and his troops.
After the defeat of the British in the Revolution, Roger Morris and his family were forced to move back to England. The mansion briefly became an inn for weary travelers until it passed into the hands of French shipping mogul Stephen Jumel and his wife Eliza. After Stephen’s death, Eliza married a dilapidated and battle weary Aaron Burr.
Today the mansion functions as an historical sight and museum. A visitor can come to the mansion and visit some of the rooms that housed George Washington and Aaron Burr, fully preserved in their colonial splendor. Tours of the mansion are offered frequently, in addition to chamber music recitals, and other community events.
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The Morris-Jumel mansion became a museum for the first time in 1904, when chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution took on the task of operating the building. 