The Board and staff of the Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum have read The New York Times article on the need for restoration of the building — and we agree! The Mansion is a treasure for New York City and the entire country, and we want to continue to work with the relevant city agencies to take expedited action on the long-delayed restoration project. See our Letter to the Editor as well as a link to the original article below. We are open Thursday through Sunday and welcome visitors and school groups. If you would like to learn more or support us, visit https://morrisjumel.org/support/donate/

In response to Ginia Bellafante’s October 27th New York Times piece on the Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum (Why Has This 258-Year-Old Mansion Been Left to Fall Apart), the Museum’s Board of Trustees agrees with Ms. Bellafante that the Mansion, which is owned by the City of New York, is in dire need of exterior restoration. The Mansion’s condition requires the urgent focus of the relevant agencies, and the Board would applaud expediting the commencement and completion of the long-delayed construction phase of the restoration project.

The Board and staff are committed to the preservation and restoration of the Mansion, and have successfully advocated with our elected officials to secure significant capital funding and continue to advocate for more. We work closely in partnership with NYC Parks Department and elected officials to navigate the complex processes involved in maintenance of a landmarked structure and to help drive capital projects forward.

We appreciate the consistent support of our elected officials and welcome additional funding from community, public, and private sources.

In addition to city and state funding for capital needs, the Board and staff have raised substantial private funding to reinterpret and restore the Mansion’s interior, which Ms. Bellafante termed “well preserved.” Moreover, we remain deeply committed to securing private funding for critical needs, among them operating costs, collections care, exhibition development, programming, education, and community engagement.

The Mansion has witnessed history from 1765 to the present and serves the diverse communities of Upper Manhattan, the residents of New York City, and the nation. It will take the dedicated efforts of all to restore its glory.

Link to the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/27/nyregion/morris-jumel-mansion-renovation-repair.html