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Survey of
Historic Sites and Buildings

	MORRIS-JUMEL MANSION New York
Location: 160th Street and Edgecombe Avenue, Washington Heights, New York City. Morris-Jumel Mansion

Ownership and Administration (1961). City of New York, operated by Washington Headquarters Association, Daughters of the American Revolution, under direction of New York City Department of Parks.

Significance. In addition to its distinction as the only important pre-Revolutionary house still standing in Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is the major surviving landmark of the Battle of Harlem Heights. Although it was a small-scale affair, the important effects of the battle were immediately evident, including the restoration of the offensive spirit of the American Army following a succession of defeats and retreats.

The Morris house served as the headquarters of Washington from September 14 to October 18, 1776. Following their victory of Long Island, the British occupied New York City easily on September 15, routing a portion of the American Army at Kip's Bay the same day. The Americans retreated to fortified lines on the heights north of present 125th Street. In this vicinity the Battle of Harlem Heights was fought on September 16. Here, for the first time in the campaign, the patriots succeeded in forcing the British to give ground. Hoping to lure the enemy into ambush, Washington feinted an attack in front and sent a flanking party to catch the advancing enemy in a crossfire. The British withdrew, re-formed their battleline, resumed firing, and retreated again. As the fight went on, both commanders threw in more troops, and at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon the British withdrew again, this time to within a short distance of their massed reserve. Washington had no desire to bring on a general engagement and called off the advance, a difficult feat because of his army's reluctance to give up the unusual opportunity of actually chasing the enemy. Lord Howe, surprised by the determined stand of the Americans, spent the next 4 weeks in fortifying his lines, leaving Washington to the comforts of his headquarters in the Morris Mansion. After Washington left the house it was occupied for the remainder of the war by General Clinton and other British officers.

The Morris-Jumel Mansion was built by Lt. Col. Roger Morris in 1765. Morris had come to America in 1746 and during the Braddock expedition in 1755 became a friend of Washington. A loyalist, Morris fled the country at the outbreak of the Revolution, and at the end of the war his house and land were confiscated and sold. In 1810 the house became the property of Stephen Jumel, and was restored in Federal period style. After passing through a succession of owners the house was saved from demolition in 1903 when the City of New York purchased it for $235,000, and by special legislation gave its care to the Washington Headquarters Association of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This group restored the house and again in 1945 renovated and refurnished it. At the same time, the grounds were landscaped.

Present Appearance (1961). The white-painted house is mid-Georgian in design, built of brick encased in wood. The giant entrance portico has four columns two stories high, with a pediment at the top. The flattened top of the hip roof is surmounted by a balustrade. The spacious rooms are handsomely furnished in the styles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in consideration of the two distinguished families that lived there at different periods. The earlier period is carried out on the lower floor, while the American Federal and French Empire of the 19th century is used upstairs, where furniture belonging to the Jumels is displayed. The third-floor rooms, probably utilized formerly as guest chambers, house a collection of early American household utensils. The kitchen and servant quarters are in the basement. Of particular interest is a suite of three small rooms on the second floor, which served as Washington's quarters during his stay on Harlem Heights. The house is open to the public daily except Monday throughout the year. [42]