Exterior restoration and accessibility improvements are coming to the Morris-Jumel Mansion

The Restoration has begun!

A transformative restoration of the Morris-Jumel Mansion, dubbed the “Jewel in the Crown of Sugar Hill”, by Duke Ellington, has at last begun.  This bold new moment for Manhattan’s oldest house, built in 1765, was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony on March 9. Enjoying the unseasonably warm weather for the celebratory event were representatives of the Mansion, New York City Parks Department, the Historic House Trust of New York City, and the many State and City officials whose support has been central to this extensive $10million, two-phase project. Also participating in the celebration were community stakeholders, friends, and neighbors from the uptown Manhattan community.

The staff and Board of Trustees of the Mansion extend deep appreciation to the city and state leaders who have been stalwart champions of the Morris-Jumel Mansion, including Tricia Shimamura, NYC Parks Commissioner; Giulietta Fiore, Executive Director of the Historic House Trust; NYC Council Member  Carmen De La Rosa and former NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez;  Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and former Manhattan Borough Presidents Gale A. Brewer and  Mark Levine; NY State Senator Robert Jackson; and Assemblyman Al Taylor. Funding support from the Office of the Mayor was received under Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor Eric Adams, and the work is commencing under the support of Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani.

Read more in the full press release in our In The News page HERE https://morrisjumel.org/in-the-news/ 

For monthly updates, please see the latest issue of the Mansion Minute on this website.

In October 2024, the following announcement is being made by HHT:

We are excited to announce that as of October 2024, the Historic House Trust of New York City has awarded a contract to Sienia Construction to complete the first phase of this exciting exterior restoration and accessibility project. Sienia has a proven track record of completing historically sensitive construction projects across the city, and we are confident that they will be an excellent partner in completing this work. Construction will begin once the contract is registered with the appropriate city agencies. This process can take several months; please see below for more information about the capital process.

In April 2024, MJM held a Virtual Parlor Chat featuring representatives from the restoration and accessibility project to provide updates, and answer questions from the community. Click here to watch a recording of the program. To watch our previous update from December 2023, click here.

MJM August Update Sign_NYS Revision

In July 2023, the Morris-Jumel Mansion held its annual George Washington Dinner. This fundraiser raised awareness about the upcoming capital improvement project. Click here to see keynote presentation materials from the project’s lead architect, Page Ayres Cowley.

What does the pending capital project hope to accomplish? The upcoming project will address areas of deterioration on the building’s exterior, roof restoration, and will provide landscape improvements and universal access to the first floor of the museum including ADA-compliant entry on the east side of the Mansion and restroom facilities.

What is the timeline for the whole project? The project has been split into two phases. Phase 1 will cover most of the exterior restoration and building the access ramp. The Design of the Phase 1 is complete, with of a set of master plans for restoration and barrier-free access. Bidding and scheduling are happening now. Construction for Phase 1 is expected to begin in 2025-26.

Where did funding come from for this project? The original 2.7M for this project was provided by former elected officials: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Members Robert Jackson and Ydanis Rodriguez, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and continues with additional support necessary from Mayor Eric L. Adams, City Council, Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, as well as State Assemblyman Al Taylor and State Senator Robert Jackson.

Who is doing this work? Work is being completed by the Historic House Trust of NYC through a contract with Page Ayres Cowley Architecture, LLC and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. Our city partners, the Historic House Trust, have a sole-source agreement with the the City of New York which allows them to manage capital projects at their 23 sites, which includes Morris-Jumel Mansion. More about this process is outlined in this short video.

The outside of the Mansion is in bad shape, but the inside of the museum looks well preserved and taken care of. What’s the difference? The park and building is owned and maintained the NYC Parks & Recreation with support from the Historic House Trust of NYC; any exterior work must be approved and completed by these organizations. Morris-Jumel Mansion, Inc. (MJM), the non-profit partner that runs programs and operations at the museum, has a license agreement with the city to operate inside the city-owned building. Over the past few years, MJM has embarked on plans to renovate the historic interiors of the museum, which includes 9 period rooms and two gallery spaces. The museum is also doing work to expand its interpretation of the historic site and the former estate grounds through various grant-funded initiatives to bring the stories of Indigenous persons, women, immigrants, Black Americans, and Dominican Americans to light. These groups contributed to the history, preservation, and legacy of the landmarked building, the grounds, and surrounding property.

How can I learn more about this project? Please check out this press release, view the presentation from the recent Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing, or contact the Historic House Trust of NYC directly.

How can I stay up-to-date about the capital project? Sign up for our mailing list below: