The Morris-Jumel Mansion, which is the oldest house in Manhattan, was the headquarters of General Washington in September and October of 1776. After the departure of Washington, the Mansion welcomed a succession of British and Hessian military leaders. It also became an inn for weary travelers before returning to its role as a country house.
Built in 1765 by British Colonerl Roger Morris and Mary Philipse, the mansion provided an ideal site for the family?s residence. It made use of a Palladian style, having a second story balcony and a 2-story front portico and classical columns. At the rear of the house, there is a two-story octagon, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the colonies. Its estate stretched from the Harlem up to the Hudson Rivers, covering over 130 acres.
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