The Mansion

What Mansion Would That Be?

To be more specific, the Morris mansion, also known later as the Morris-Jumel mansion. Readers of The Patriot Spy might remember that the mansion hosted a secret planning session between Jeremiah Creed and General George Washington. In fact, Washington made the Morris mansion his headquarters in the fall of 1776. During the time of the Battle of Harlem Heights, it served as the Continental Army headquarters, as mentioned in The Patriot Spy.

A National Landmark: the Morris-Jumel Mansion

Who Built it?

The house was built eleven years before the revolution, in 1765, by British Colonel Roger Morris and his American wife, Mary Philipse. Known as Mount Morris, this northern Manhattan estate stretched from the Harlem to the Hudson Rivers and covered more than 130 acres. Morris was the nephew of a prominent architect and designed the mansion in the Palladian style. It features a monumental portico supported by grand Tuscan columns and a large, two-story octagonal addition at the rear. Because they remained loyal to the crown, the Morrises were eventually forced to return to England. The Continentals often used the homes of Loyalists, whether abandoned or not, as headquarters, and the British did the same to the Patriots. In this case, the home was large enough to accommodate staff activities and served as a residence for the commander in chief.

Why Headquarters?

Washington recognized the advantages
of establishing a headquarters on Morris Hill

The location was ideal because it was on high ground where Washington vainly hoped to destroy a British attack similar to Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill). The Battle of Harlem Heights was at best a draw. However, the position offered access to the lower island if a chance for a counterattack arose. It also protected the only American retreat route—King's Bridge. With views of the Harlem River, the Bronx, and Long Island Sound to the east, New York City and the harbor to the south, and the Hudson River and Jersey Palisades to the west, Mount Morris proved to be an excellent strategic military headquarters. Soon after the Battle of Harlem Heights, Washington and his troops left the mansion, and for some time, it was occupied by British and Hessian forces.

Post Bellum Shenanigans

Eliza Jumel

In the summer of 1790, Washington returned to the Mansion and dined with members of his cabinet. Among those at the table were Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Henry Knox. However, the mansion rekindled the public's interest (and ours) because of another (notorious) First Patriot. In 1810, the mansion was bought by wealthy French wine merchant Stephen Jumel. As a result, the name was changed to Morris-Jumel Mansion. Jumel and his American wife, Eliza, purchased the mansion and spared no expense refurbishing it.

In 1828, they returned from Paris with crates of furniture and paintings, much of which they claimed had belonged to Napoleon. In 1832, Stephen died, ostensibly of "natural causes." He fell on a pitchfork and bled out. However, there was speculation that Eliza had a role in the death, as she had carried on a torrid affair with the now disgraced former Vice President of the U.S. and killer of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr. 

A year after Stephen Jumel died in 1832, Eliza married Burr. However, the union ended after three years in divorce, as Burr only wanted her money, most of which he managed to spend. Burr died in near poverty. Eliza became a recluse, and the once-renowned beauty turned into a frightening sight with unkempt hair, false teeth, and dirty clothing. Although rumors said she went mad, she clearly had dementia and drove away even her closest relatives and friends. She lived alone in the house until her death in 1865.

Aaron Burr

Post Shenanigans Hauntings?

A stately old home, soldiers, sex, murder, and madness come together in a toxic mixture filled with stories of ghost sightings and hauntings. The mansion is now considered not only the oldest house in New York City but also the city's oldest haunted house. A tour of New York's haunted sites wouldn't be complete without a visit to Harlem. Many people, including curators and tourists alike, have reported sightings over the years. These sightings include Eliza, Stephen, and Aaron, as well as Revolutionary War soldiers and servants. One of the latter was a jilted maidservant. I first learned of the Morris-Jumel mansion as a boy. A friend of my father, who later became a history professor, visited the mansion and shared stories of ghost sightings—both civilian and military. He insisted that some of these sightings were made by inner-city youth touring with their schools, who described "soldiers walking through the walls." He also claimed that they accurately described some of the uniforms despite having no knowledge of 18th-century military or civilian dress. Today, the mansion is owned by the New York City Parks Department and is open to visitors, both the living and the dead.