City Beautiful BLOG

Hamilton Grange – a country home that moved twice

This modest two-story Federal-style house was home to Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury.

Hamilton retired from office in 1795 but continued practicing as a lawyer. Since he no longer had to be in the middle of the bustling city, he decided it was time for a country estate. In 1802, Alexander Hamilton and his family moved to the newly built country home named the Grange, after his grandfather’s estate in Scotland. Tragically, Hamilton got to enjoy this well-deserved country living for only two short years. He died in 1804 after being fatally wounded in a duel with his arch-enemy, the sitting US vice president – Aaron Burr.

The house was designed by John McComb Jr., a respected architect who later became known for his work on New York City Hall. Hamilton was very much involved in the design of the house, which explains why, with its white columns and open terrace, it looks like the estate houses in the West Indies where Hamilton grew up.

Unlike most houses that usually stay in place, the Grange changed its location twice! The first time, in 1899, it moved 500 feet from its original location on what is now 143rd Street between Convent and Amsterdam Avenues to accommodate the Manhattan grid plan. As the city grew around the Grange, the house became crowded by all the other buildings. To preserve the bucolic feel of the original plan, it was moved again in 2008 to its current beautiful location in the middle of St. Nicholas Park. It still stands within the original Hamilton estate, and the new location fits much more with the original idea of a country home.

On a short political note, the number of Sweetgum trees in the garden is not random. As a node to early American history, 13 trees represent the 13 original colonies.