Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-05-25
REVOLUrIONA MANSIONS.
Ancient Houses Still Standing in
New York City.

The celebration of the centennial OF
Washington's inauguration has stimu.
lated an interest among New Workers in
the history of W~ashington's time, and
especially in the landmarks still existing
in the city that were associated with
events of the revolution and the years
Immediately following, says the New
York Sun. or the few buildings of
W~ashington's time which still remain
the Oldest is probably the Jumel
mansion in One Hundred and Sixty
first street, near st. Nicholas avenue
The house, which was then called
the Morris mansion, was built by Roger
Morris in 1857. The main part of the
building was nearly square, two stories
high, with q spacious attic. An extern
sion of O%ctagonal form contained a
large and stately parlor. magni6cently
furnished. with bedchambers over il.
The central hall or passage way to the
parlor, was twenty feet wide. The walls
OF the mansion were Of imported Hol-
land brick. shea'hed with planks. Under
the entire building was a cellar dug out
OF the solid rock. In this building Wash
ington had his quarters, while the Amer
Jeans were slowly e~vacuating the city.
From the porch Ia front of the house he
watched the movements of the enemy's
fleet in the Hudson below.
Long before the revolution the region
about Riverside park was dotted with
country seats and deer parks, and was
then known as Bloomingdale. Here was
built the famous Apthorpe mansion,
originally a nobleman's palace, now a
restaurant and beer hall in eX. Alderman
Wendels Elm park. Under the roof Of
this mansion the secret expedition of
Nathan Hale was planned late on Satur-
day night, September Ia, 1776. Here
Washington had his headquarters when
the intelligence Of the approach of the
British fleet was brought to him. When
he moved further north, and the British
occupied the city, Lord Howe and his
staff occupied the same apartments in
Washington had slept. The build
ing will e0o be torn down to make way
for = new street.
There were two other historic build
lngs, though Of a somewhat later period,
that neighborh0od. One. The
6 Grange" in One Hundred and Forty
Seventh street, near Tenth avenue, was
Luilt by Alexander Hamilton in 1902.
The other, built about the same time by
DR.. Samuel Bradhurst, stands in One
Hundred and Forty eighth street.
Another building Of q still later date
near General Grants tomb. 1t is
CiaremOnt mansion, occupied at
various times by many distinguished per
sons. 1t was built by DR.. Post. He was
succeeded by Viscount Courtenay, after
wards earl Of Devon. After the earl
came Francis James Jackson, British
minister. Joseph ~Bouaparte. ex-king of
Spain, lived IL this mansion in 1915. Now
q prosperous restauranteur occupies it,
and dispenses beer and sandwiches to
West Side pleasure seekers.
In the lower part Of the city now
called down town." and then known
as "the city" q few Of the old buildings
remain. The old GARRISON house in
Whitehall rptt was burned in 177G. In
l793a IL ~s-~,r y brick building was
built on - Size and is still there. The
row Of Oh 1asnionei houses on State
street is also u relic Of 1889. The site Of
the French Huguenot church which was
huill in 1858 is now occupied by the pro-
duce exchange. The Kennedy house at
[ Broadway and an old frame house ad-
il from which Washington is said
TO have viewed the fire works on the oC-
OF his Inauguration were removed
to make room for the Washington build