Hamilton Grange National Memorial
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| Hamilton Grange National Memorial | |
|---|---|
| Location: | New York, New York, USA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 0.11 acre (450 m²) |
| Established: | April 27, 1962 |
| Total Visitation: | 15,287 (in 2005) |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
Hamilton Grange National Memorial, at 287 Convent Avenue in New York City, is where the National Park Service preserves the home of Alexander Hamilton: military officer, lawyer, member of the United States Constitutional Convention, American statesman, first United States Secretary of the Treasury, and Founding Father. Born and raised in the West Indies, Hamilton came to New York in 1772 at age 17 to study at King's College (now Columbia University).
"The Grange" was named after Hamilton's grandfather's estate in Scotland. (A grange was originally a place where food was grown for a monastery.) The Grange was the only home ever owned by Hamilton. It is a two-story frame Federal style house that has been moved from its original location. Hamilton commissioned architect John McComb Jr. to design the country home on a 32 acre (0.13 km²) estate in upper Manhattan. It was completed in 1802, just two years before Hamilton's death.
The house was moved from 237 West 141 Street about four blocks west to its present site in 1889. The original entrance, porches, and other features were removed at that time.
The property was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960. Congress authorized the National Memorial on April 27, 1962. At the time it was determined that the current setting is inappropriate — a country house should be viewed as freestanding, but because of today's adjacent buildings only the façade is properly displayed. However, the house was not relocated in 1962 due to overwhelming local opposition to moving it out of the neighborhood. The Grange was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Starting May 9, 2006, Hamilton Grange was closed to the public to allow for extensive architectural and structural investigations. These are part of a long term plan to move the house to nearby St. Nicholas Park, which is in the current neighborhood as well as being within the boundary of land once owned by Hamilton. The new location would allow for features lost in the 1889 move to be reconstructed, as well as provide a more appropriate open setting for the Grange.
The Harlem neighborhood of Hamilton Heights derives its name from Hamilton and the Grange.
- The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
- Official NPS website: Hamilton Grange National Memorial
- Hamilton Grange (Alexander Hamilton House) NHL information
- Alexander Hamilton Historical Society (AHHS)