Jumel Mansion in New York filmed on Tuesday August 17 2021
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History of the Morris-Jumel MansionThe
History of the Morris-Jumel Mansion
The Morris-Jumel Mansion was completed in 1765 as a summer house for British Colonel Roger Morris, his wife, Mary Philipse, and their family on approximately 135 acres of land that was estimated to stretch from the Harlem to Hudson Rivers between what is now 155th and 165th streets. Their country estate was named “Mount Morris” and, being situated on one of the highest points of Manhattan, offered clear views of New Jersey, Connecticut, and all of New York Harbor. In addition to serving as a summer retreat, Mount Morris was also a working farm with fruit trees, cows, and sheep as well as a variety of crops.
With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1776, the Morris family abandoned their summer home. During the autumn of 1776, General George Washington and his Continental officers occupied the house and made it their headquarters from September 14th to October 21st. The superb views from Mount Morris made the location strategically ideal for observing troop movements, and General Washington used this advantage to plan his army’s first successful victory on September 16th during the Battle of Harlem Heights. Despite this victory, on October 21st, General Washington was forced to retreat to White Plains, NY. For the remainder of the war, the house was used as a headquarters for both British and Hessian armies.
Following the war, the estate was confiscated under the Forfeiture Laws by the State of New York and sold to cover war debts. For a brief time, the house served as a tavern and hosted a dinner for President George Washington, his cabinet Secretaries, and their spouses on July 10th, 1790. This dinner was symbolic in that it was held in the same place Washington scored his first victory during the Revolutionary War. Soon, the tavern became unsuccessful and the house was abandoned once again.
In 1810, Eliza and Stephen Jumel purchased Mount Morris and all of its farmlands, and began a series of alterations to the house. Stephen, a merchant from the south of France who emigrated to New York some years earlier, met and married American Eliza Bowen in New York. Eliza, who grew up in a poor Rhode Island family, was a voracious reader and self-educated. She became a shrewd businesswoman long before most women worked outside the home. At a moment when Stephen's business was floundering, Eliza applied herself to the real estate trade, buying and selling land and renting properties downtown. Her success made large profits for her husband and herself, making her one of the wealthiest women in New York after Stephen’s death in 1832. Eliza herself was the longest resident of the Mansion, and after her death in 1865, control over the house and her estate was contested in court for seventeen years.
By the 1880s, most of the Jumel land had been sold as the city expanded and fashionable townhouses rose immediately around the Mansion. In the early 1900s, City of New York purchased the house and its surrounding two acres from Ferninand and Lillie Earle, the current owners, who cited relations to the Morris family. Four local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution formed the Washington Headquarter’s Association, and the Mansion was turned into a historic house dedicated to Washington and the Revolutionary War.
The mid-20th century saw the neighborhood develop into a vibrant home to many artists and celebrities from the Harlem Renaissance including Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and Duke Ellington, who once referred to the Morris-Jumel Mansion as “the jewel in the crown of Sugar Hill.” The Mansion held particular symbolism for actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson, who mused about the deep connection between his ancestors and the founding of America:
“I am an American. From my window I gaze out upon a scene that reminds me how deep-going are the roots of my people in this land. Across the street, carefully preserved as an historic shrine, is a colonial mansion that served as a headquarters for General George Washington in 1776....among those who came to offer help in that desperate hour was my great-great grandfather. He was Cyrus Bustill who was born a slave in New Jersey and had managed to purchase his freedom. He became a baker and it is recorded that George Washington thanked him for supplying bread to the starving Revolutionary Army.” -Paul Robeson, Here I Stand (Boston: Beacon Press, 1958)
Today, the Mansion and its neighboring buildings are a part of the Jumel Terrace Historic District. Because of this, the appearance of the immediate neighborhood has changed very little since the beginning of the twentieth century. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Morris Jumel Mansion as an Individual Landmark in 1967 and an Interior Landmark in 1975, and the Mansion was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The Mansion is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City.
The Morris-Jumel Mansion was completed in 1765 as a summer house for British Colonel Roger Morris, his wife, Mary Philipse, and their family on approximately 135 acres of land that was estimated to stretch from the Harlem to Hudson Rivers between what is now 155th and 165th streets. Their country estate was named “Mount Morris” and, being situated on one of the highest points of Manhattan, offered clear views of New Jersey, Connecticut, and all of New York Harbor. In addition to serving as a summer retreat, Mount Morris was also a working farm with fruit trees, cows, and sheep as well as a variety of crops.
With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1776, the Morris family abandoned their summer home. During the autumn of 1776, General George Washington and his Continental officers occupied the house and made it their headquarters from September 14th to October 21st. The superb views from Mount Morris made the location strategically ideal for observing troop movements, and General Washington used this advantage to plan his army’s first successful victory on September 16th during the Battle of Harlem Heights. Despite this victory, on October 21st, General Washington was forced to retreat to White Plains, NY. For the remainder of the war, the house was used as a headquarters for both British and Hessian armies.
Following the war, the estate was confiscated under the Forfeiture Laws by the State of New York and sold to cover war debts. For a brief time, the house served as a tavern and hosted a dinner for President George Washington, his cabinet Secretaries, and their spouses on July 10th, 1790. This dinner was symbolic in that it was held in the same place Washington scored his first victory during the Revolutionary War. Soon, the tavern became unsuccessful and the house was abandoned once again.
In 1810, Eliza and Stephen Jumel purchased Mount Morris and all of its farmlands, and began a series of alterations to the house. Stephen, a merchant from the south of France who emigrated to New York some years earlier, met and married American Eliza Bowen in New York. Eliza, who grew up in a poor Rhode Island family, was a voracious reader and self-educated. She became a shrewd businesswoman long before most women worked outside the home. At a moment when Stephen's business was floundering, Eliza applied herself to the real estate trade, buying and selling land and renting properties downtown. Her success made large profits for her husband and herself, making her one of the wealthiest women in New York after Stephen’s death in 1832. Eliza herself was the longest resident of the Mansion, and after her death in 1865, control over the house and her estate was contested in court for seventeen years.
By the 1880s, most of the Jumel land had been sold as the city expanded and fashionable townhouses rose immediately around the Mansion. In the early 1900s, City of New York purchased the house and its surrounding two acres from Ferninand and Lillie Earle, the current owners, who cited relations to the Morris family. Four local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution formed the Washington Headquarter’s Association, and the Mansion was turned into a historic house dedicated to Washington and the Revolutionary War.
The mid-20th century saw the neighborhood develop into a vibrant home to many artists and celebrities from the Harlem Renaissance including Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and Duke Ellington, who once referred to the Morris-Jumel Mansion as “the jewel in the crown of Sugar Hill.” The Mansion held particular symbolism for actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson, who mused about the deep connection between his ancestors and the founding of America:
“I am an American. From my window I gaze out upon a scene that reminds me how deep-going are the roots of my people in this land. Across the street, carefully preserved as an historic shrine, is a colonial mansion that served as a headquarters for General George Washington in 1776....among those who came to offer help in that desperate hour was my great-great grandfather. He was Cyrus Bustill who was born a slave in New Jersey and had managed to purchase his freedom. He became a baker and it is recorded that George Washington thanked him for supplying bread to the starving Revolutionary Army.” -Paul Robeson, Here I Stand (Boston: Beacon Press, 1958)
Today, the Mansion and its neighboring buildings are a part of the Jumel Terrace Historic District. Because of this, the appearance of the immediate neighborhood has changed very little since the beginning of the twentieth century. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Morris Jumel Mansion as an Individual Landmark in 1967 and an Interior Landmark in 1975, and the Mansion was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The Mansion is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City.
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