Hamilton Grange National Memorial
W-Su 9am-4:30pm
On a street with only a smattering of businesses and churches, the Grange, the former home of the first Secretary of the Treasury and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, was a welcome spot to explore. Hamilton planned and constructed the Grange, named after his ancestral home in Scotland, and called it his “sweet project.” When construction on the Grange was completed in 1802, Alexander’s political career had plummeted and he came to the scenic, peaceful area in search of solace. It was a big step for him, our tour guide noted, because while the other Founding Fathers were born landowners, the Grange and its surrounding thirty-two acres offered Hamilton his first opportunity to experience the trappings of wealth. He soon took to gardening in the area, a practice that the current iteration of the Grange upholds, with flowers patches arrayed around the grounds, evoking the pastoral landscape Alexander would have enjoyed at the time.
The inside of the house was equally impressive. The tour began in the foyer on the second floor of the house, in what would previously have been the guest rooms. The family’s quarters would actually have been upstairs, while the ground floor would have been reserved for the kitchen. Our guide was quick to draw our attention to the bust of Alexander Hamilton positioned at the front of the room – a replica of the original made by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi, who fashioned it to resemble a Roman Senator. Eliza Hamilton, Alexander’s wife, was very fond of the bust, reportedly calling it “my Hamilton” and giving it a place of pride at the entrance to their home. The original, we were told, is now in the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. Our guide then pointed out the floors, which were made of oilcloth on canvas that simulated the luxurious marble floors that the Hamiltons could not afford at the time. This was one of several decorative details that Hamilton used to mimic the wealth and sophistication of his fellow Founding Fathers.
We then paused the tour to watch a video on the Grange’s relocations over the years. The house was first located on what is now 143rd street and Convent Avenue, though the area was entirely rural at the time of its construction in 1802. Despite the effort put into its creation, the Hamiltons were only able to reside in the Grange for two years prior to Alexander’s death in 1804, after which Eliza had to sell the Grange at auction to pay off her late husband’s debts. The property came into the possession of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in 1889 and was subsequently relocated for the first time to a spot closer to the church on 141st street. The building served as a chapel until 1924, when it was acquired by the American Scenic and Preservation Society and became a public museum.
In 1962 the Grange was donated to the National Park Service. It was at this point that plans for the Grange’s second relocation began, because its spot on Convent Avenue – cramped by various residential buildings – did not adequately reflect its historical significance. The difficulty in moving the entire structure caused delays, and the actual relocation did not take place for another fifty years. In 2008, the Grange was lifted on stilts and rolled five hundred feet to its new position adjacent to St. Nicholas Park on 141st street – an awe-inspiring sight for those in the neighborhood who witnessed the hours-long process. There followed a period of extensive restoration to both the house and the estate in order to return it to its former glory. It was reopened for public viewing in 2011.
Having been suitably impressed by the house’s storied past, we were led through the three rooms on display: the family room, the dining room, and Hamilton’s study. All the rooms were octagonal in shape, and the furnishings reflected the style of the period. Even the rugs were provided by a historic carpet company to meet the painstaking standards for accuracy and fidelity to the house’s origins. They tried to keep as much of the house intact as possible despite the repairs, including the original moldings and the genuine Italian marble of the mantelpiece in the dining room. The piano forte belonging to Hamilton’s daughter, Angelica, still sits in the family room – it has several broken keys, we were told, because repairing them would detract from its authenticity.
The last room we visited was Hamilton’s study, which he designed himself and supposedly guarded very closely. According to legend, he did not let anyone into the room unless he was present. Maps of old New York and the first city grid were displayed on the walls, and five books from Hamilton’s personal library of nearly two thousand volumes were propped on the shelf. Even more exciting, however, was the replica of his famous mahogany traveling desk sitting in front of the window overlooking 141st street. An emblem of Hamilton’s role in the nation’s founding, the desk was where he must have authored any number of Treasury records, essays, and political correspondence. It was a perfect end to our tour.
