Self-Guided Tour

The Grange in the 1870's.

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Welcome to The Grange: Alexander Hamilton's Sweet Project.

Welcome to Hamilton Grange National Memorial. This home was the only one Alexander Hamilton ever owned, and today, memorializes his achievements and contributions to this nation.

When the house was originally commissioned by Hamilton in 1801, it was built at the intersection of 143^rd Street and Convent Avenue, up the hill from where we are today. It was surrounded by rolling hills, lush woodlands, and streams. But by 1889, the city street grid had crept northward from downtown, and The Grange sat in the way of a street. The destruction of this home seemed imminent.

 

The Grange on Convent Avenue in the 1960's.

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However, in 1889, it was purchased and donated to the administration of the nearby St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to be used as a rectory and chapel. At that time, it moved about 500 feet to the south and east. The Grange was saved.

As the years passed, the neighborhood surrounding The Grange was populated by buildings. The house, once the grandest home on this plot of countryside, was now squeezed between two large structures. When the National Park Service acquired the home in 1962, the government promised to move the home to a more suitable location in order to showcase its historical significance. In 2008, that became reality. The site opened to visitors again in 2011.

 

The Grange on reopening day, 2011.

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As the years passed, the neighborhood surrounding The Grange was populated by buildings. The house, once the grandest home on this plot of countryside, was now squeezed between two large structures. When the National Park Service acquired the home in 1962, the government promised to move the home to a more suitable location in order to showcase its historical significance. In 2008, that became reality. The site opened to visitors again in 2011.

 

 

The Foyer

 

The Entrance Hall (Foyer) of the Grange.

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In the foyer, you can get an impression of the original style of the Hamiltons. The conservative, but ornate molding on the doorways in this room is original, giving us a sense of the style and trends of Hamilton’s time. This, along with the symmetry before us, are great examples of the Federal style, an architectural style popular in the early 19^th century.

Although details like the molding and architecture are original to 1802, the house requires extensive upkeep to remain historically accurate. Elements like the flooring and wall paint are modern but are faithful to historical styles and methods.

 

Full-length Hamilton portrait by John Trumbull (replica)

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Alexander Hamilton Portrait - Replica

The original full-length portrait of Alexander Hamilton was painted in 1792 by John Trumbull and depicts Hamilton as the first Treasury Secretary. This copy was completed in 1981.

 

Alexander Hamilton bust by Giuseppe Ceracchi

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Marble Bust - Original

Hamilton sat for a bust in the 1790's. Artist Giuseppe Ceracchi sculpted several of the Founding Fathers. Ceracchi then unexpectedly asked Hamilton to pay for it for $620, a very large sum. There are several copies of the bust, and this one is one of the Hamilton busts that Ceracchi produced before 1804. The one that Hamilton owned here at The Grange is at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. Read more here.

 

The Study

 

“I wish there was a war,” a young Alexander wrote at fourteen years old, “[I] would willingly risk my life tho’ not my Character to exalt my Station.” Upon writing this, his mother had recently died of illness, leaving him and his brother James orphaned. Because Hamilton was born out of wedlock, her estate was seized, and the household books were sold at auction. A relative purchased them back for Alexander. These books must have been treasured.

 

For a young boy like Hamilton, success was never guaranteed. However, thanks to the help of others (and his natural talents), Hamilton rose to the stature at which we remember him today. It is no wonder that he chose to have a dedicated study in his Grange. He also chose this striking green color that we see today. During Hamilton’s occupation of the house, this room was filled with thousands of books. The books that are in front of you are from that collection.

 

Books - Original

A collection of books belonging to Hamilton, late 18th century. Titles include "The History of Modern Europe", "The Antiquities of Rome", "A Universal History From the Earliest Account of Time", "Anderson's Historical and Chronological Deduction of the Origins of Commerce," and "History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic".

 

Hamilton was well-known and, through his political career, made many connections. In the dining room, we’ll discover how The Grange connected Hamilton to his political contemporaries. As you exit the Study, the Dining Room is through the big doorway to the right of the bust.

 

Federal Style Desk - Replica

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Federal Style Desk - Replica

The original solid mahogany Federal-style desk was built around the year 1800. It was present in the Grange during Hamilton's time here. It was passed down through the Hamilton family and the original is still located at the Museum of the City of New York. The one in front of you is a faithful reproduction.

 

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Travel Desk - Replica

The first laptop? Hamilton's travel desk, dated to the late 18th century, would have been the perfect traveler's companion. The thick mahogany desk features a folding writing surface and drawers for writing materials. The original desk was donated to the Smithsonian Museum by Allan McLane Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's grandson.

 

The Dining Room

 

In May of 1802, Hamilton wrote to his wife, Eliza, “My Dear Eliza, on Sunday Bonaparte & wife with the Judges will dine with you. We shall be 16 in number if Morris will come.” Apparently, large gatherings at The Grange were not uncommon, and high profile names like Jerome Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother) were among the guests.

 

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.

What was served at The Grange? While we do not know for certain, records of Hamilton’s farming endeavors exist, and though he did not make a living on the occupation, he did record a small profit from the sale of asparagus, strawberries, and cabbage. His grandson also wrote that a past time of his was hunting in the Harlem woods, so perhaps his hunting past time brought game meat to this table.

The Grange was built with entertaining guests in mind. The three doors behind you can open fully to join the parlor and the dining rooms together. The windows you see opposite to the doors can open fully, allowing a cross-breeze to cool the home down. When the doors in the dining room aren’t open, the mirrored backs of the doors reflect light, increasing the brightness of the room.

 

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Mirrored Silver Plateau - Original

Said to have belonged to Hamilton, made in 1778 in London. The complete sets contain four interlocking sections--two center squares, and two rounded end pieces. Only three of the four pieces are on display here.

 

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Silver-plated Wine Cooloer - Replica

This wine cooler was a gift to Hamilton from Washington in the year 1797. "Not for any intrinsic value the thing possesses, but as a token of my ... friendship for you," Washington wrote. One week later, the Reynolds Pamphlet was published. Read more.

 

1800s illustration of The Grange in its original location.

Imagine that you are a guest at The Grange in 1804. Chances are, you are connected to Hamilton in some way—whether by family, by his law practice, or political career. From this room, or the parlor behind you, you could step onto the outdoor portico and look out on the rolling hills, down to the rivers on each side of Manhattan. Looking up at night, the stars cluster in the night sky. You would hear rustling leaves, perhaps a lone wagon, some livestock, and birdsong. Inside the home, you would hear the chatter of Hamilton and his guests.

Join us in the Parlor to learn what after-dinner entertainment was like at The Grange. Simply step through the big doorway connecting the Dining Room to the Parlor.

 

The Parlor

 

This room was the entertainment hub at The Grange. Hamilton ordered fireplaces to be built with good construction so that they wouldn’t make the room smoky—better conditions for speaking with his guests. Between 1802 and 1804, Hamilton’s political career had wound down, but still felt impassioned about politics, and wanted to discuss them—so much so, that in 1804, he died in a politically motivated duel, just two years after the completion of The Grange.

 

Pianoforte - Original

The piano reminds us of Hamilton's ties to his children. Purchased by Eliza's sister Angelica, it was shipped from England and gifted to Angelica Hamilton, the eldest Hamilton daughter. She is remembered as a young woman with a bright and gentle disposition, and enjoyed duets with her brother and father, a skill and pastime she is known to have enjoyed throughout her life in the years after each were killed in duels, in 1801, and 1804. It was in Angelica's possession until her death in 1857, and donated to the park by a family member many years later. Read more.

 

Elizabeth Hamilton in old age.

After his death, his family, including Eliza, worked tirelessly to compile his papers and letters so that he could be well-remembered as one of America’s founding fathers. It is thanks to the efforts of his wife and descendants that his story is remembered today.

Additional contributions by family, like the objects in this room, help us imagine Hamilton as a person. For example, this furniture, upholstered in green silk, was a purchase he made in Philadelphia in the 1790’s, later donated by descendants to The Grange to help tell his story.

 

Close-up detail on the carved ornamentation of the parlor chairs.

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Chair and Sofa Suite - Original and Replica

Built for Hamilton between 1790 and 1795, this furniture suite showcases the popular Neoclassical style of the late 18th century, marked by its elegant but subdued ornamentation. While about half of the collection here is original, there are a few reproduction pieces to fill out the collection. Read more.

 

The Grange today

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Eliza lived here in The Grange for 29 years after her husband’s death, eventually moving in 1833. She would not have been able to imagine that her work would help garner the public interest needed to designate this home as a national memorial. But in 1962, this home passed into the ownership of all Americans.

In 2008, after 119 years of being on Convent Avenue, Hamilton Grange National Memorial was moved to this location. It stands as a symbol of Hamilton’s self-determination and the contributions of others in Hamilton’s story, where you can walk in the footsteps of an American Founding Father.

 

Thank you for visiting Hamilton Grange National Memorial. If you have any questions, rangers and volunteers are on site to assist you.