By Sue Rice
ITWPA Member
The hugely popular Broadway show Hamilton has brought about a significant interest in The Grange and put the property on tourists’ must-see lists when they visit New York City.
Designated a National Historical Landmark in 1960, the home built by Alexander Hamilton in 1802 has had an interesting history. The Grange was the country home of the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and originally sat on 32 acres in upper Manhattan. Named after his grandfather’s estate in Scotland, The Grange was Hamilton’s home for only two years. He was shot and killed in a duel with the Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804. The Grange remained in Hamilton’s family for 30 years. It later fell into foreclosure and was set for demolition when St. Luke’s Episcopal Church acquired the property and moved it to 287 Convent Avenue where it was used for services.
The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society purchased the house in 1924 and turned it into a public museum where furniture and other items that had belonged to the Hamilton family were displayed.
The Grange became a National Historical Landmark in 1960 when the National Park Foundation purchased it and transferred it to the National Park Service. Congress authorized a national memorial in 1962 but felt the location of the property was inappropriate and required the relocation and restoration of the house. The second relocation didn’t take place until 2008 when the house was moved to St. Nicholas Park where it sits today and is known as Hamilton Grange National Memorial. The Grange was reopened to the public in 2011.
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