GoSee secret tip : the Morris-Jumel Mansion - George Washington's visit and other dark secrets in Washington Heights

The Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest detached building in Manhattan – and if it had not been the headquarters of George Washington during the Revolutionary War, it would probably be history by now.

As it is, it still stands – albeit a bit wonky – and sleeps its Sleeping Beauty slumber in the night in uptown Washington Heights. The area has become so forgotten in the meantime, it is constantly being omitted on the island maps by such publications as MERIAN and GEO – making it a real insider tip.

The estate was built in 1776 for British Army officer Roger Morris, a friend of George Washington and the husband of a well off American girl. The estate sprawled all over upper Manhattan.

From the 14th of September to the 20th of October 1776, shortly after the battle of Pell's Point, the Morris-Jumel Mansion served as the headquarters of George Washington due to its exceptional strategic location. Washington would be the first president of the United States of America.

In between, the house had been the headquarters of the English and Hesse until the victorious president finally returned to Morris-Jumel on the 10th of July 1790 for one evening to dine with his cabinet, consisting of Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Henry Knox and Thomas Jefferson.

A dinner for the history books – after all, with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Quincy Adams and James Madison, it hosted no less than four further future presidents of the United States of America at the same table.

In 1810, French wine trader Stephen Jumel, who escaped from Haiti, and his wife Eliza acquired the estate. Eliza, nee Bowen, had been the former mistress of Jumel and was considered as beautiful as she was intelligent. The wedding took place in 1804.

The couple were supporters of Napoleon and regularly commuted between the United States and France, from where they brought back furniture to the Morris-Jumel Mansion. The lady of the house insisted in the circumstance that they allegedly received the pieces by Napoleon and his family in person.

When Stephen Jumel died in 1832 – some rumours doubt that the death had been involuntarily and Eliza's skill with swinging a pitchfork might had something to do with – she became one of the nation's richest women.

On the 1st of July 1933, Eliza married the former vice president Aaron Burr in the reception room of her own housemorrisjumel.org. They separated again after only four months, giving Burr only a limited amount of time to indulge in the luxury of the estate. The divorce became legal on the 14th of September 1836. Burr died on the same day – quite bizarre.

Eliza on the other hand, continued to dwell in the Morris-Jumel Mansion until her death in 1865, a good 55 years. In 1903, the estate passed over to the state of New York and was turned into a museum in 1904. The building was made a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

In 1976, Queen Elisabeth II. paid a visit to the Jumel-Mansion to mark the 200 year anniversary of the deceleration of independence. Respect.

Current temporary exhibition: ‘Dressed for the Holidays’
At the moment, the historic rooms are hosting an exhibition that showcases costumes from the archive of the Saratoga Springs Historical Society. The lady's bedroom remains untouched and is entirely worth a visit.

Until the 27th of January 2012
Morris-Jumel Mansion
65 Jumel Terrace
New York, NY 10032
morrisjumel.org